Mr. Sherman to Mr. Taylor.
Washington, May 11, 1897.
Sir: I have to acknowledge the receipt of your dispatch No. 685, of the 22d ultimo, accompanied by a translation of a note from the Duke of Tetuan, of April 20, in relation to the case of Messrs. Hernsheim Brothers, who state that they purchased and contracted for a certain quantity of tobacco prior to the decree of May 16, 1896, prohibiting its exportation from the provinces of Havana and Pinar del Rio. I have attentively read the views expressed by the Duke of Tetuan, but I deem it unnecessary at the present time to do more than to inclose certain additional evidence, and to refer to his gratifying promise, upon the arrival of the expediente at Madrid, in the Hernsheim Brothers and other tobacco cases, to cause the case of those brothers to be instantly and “carefully examined by the Government of His Majesty, with the firm purpose of deciding in strict equity and justice.”
It is possible that the expediente referred to by the minister may have before this reached Madrid, but as pertinent to the consideration of the case, should the expediente not have reached there, and the case not have been decided, I inclose original and copies of letters from Fidel Fernandez, the buyer, and original letters from Messrs. Neuhaus, Neumann & Co., the agents of Messrs. Hernsheim Brothers & Co., all bearing [Page 491] on the purchase of the tobacco prior to May 16, 1896. The former correspondence covers seventeen letters and the latter thirteen letters and two cablegrams.
Nothing in the inclosed correspondence shows that copies thereof have been submitted to the Havana authorities, but inquiry on this point will be made of the firm and the suggestion made to it that this course be followed in case it has not been.
Still, this should not deter you from promptly presenting copies of these papers, sent in original to the minister of state, and from renewing your appeal that the Spanish Government, in fulfillment of its promise, should instantly deal with the case in accordance with equity and justice. If the owners of the tobacco are to receive it in fairly good condition it should be released without further and unnecessary delay. The Spanish Government will, I am sure, realize this, and will do all that it reasonably can to expedite a favorable decision.
In case such decision is reached at Madrid you may briefly telegraph the fact.
In conclusion, it may be well to refer you to Mr. Olney’s No. 654, of February 12 last, in which the case of Messrs. Hernsheim Bros. & Co. is specifically mentioned.
Respectfully, yours,