Baron Fava to Mr. Adee.

My Dear Friend: Hoping that your health is entirely restored and that you have resumed your work at the State Department with your habitual activity, I desire to call your attention to an urgent matter.

You are certainly aware that the Secretary of the Treasury has not thought proper to revoke his decision to abolish the Italian immigration [Page 436] bureau on Ellis Island, and that notwithstanding the reiterated efforts of my Government to secure the continuance of said bureau.

Not being able to leave our immigrants without the assistance to which they are entitled, and while expressing to Mr. Hay, through Mr. Draper, its confidence that the Federal Government will facilitate the measures that may be taken by me with a view to rendering less serious the consequences of this abolition, my Government has authorized me to install the bureau in question as a dependency of the consulate-general of Itlay at New York, under whose direction it will be able to continue its beneficent and humanitarian functions.

On and after the 1st of January next it will therefore be the duty of the delegates of the Italian consul-general to repair to the Barge Office on the arrival of Italian immigrants for the purpose of rendering them the assistance of which they are in need.

I do not think that the Secretary of the Treasury will have the slightest objection to the admittance to the Barge Office of the delegates of the Italian consulate on the same ground that such admittance has long been granted to the delegate of the Austro-Hungarian consulate in New York. Of course, the functions of the Italian delegates are exactly the same as those which are performed by the Austro-Hungarian delegate.

I reserve the transmission of the official request to the Secretary of the Treasury through the kind mediation of the Department of State. Meanwhile, you would greatly oblige me by giving me the assurance that this request will be transmitted as soon as possible, in view of the fact that the 1st of January is very near at hand.

I rely upon your habitual friendship for a prompt reply, inasmuch as I desire to settle all the details relative to the reorganization of the bureau as speedily as possible.

Thanks, and believe me,

Very truly, yours,

Fava.

P. S.—In case the state of your health does not yet permit you to go to the Department, I beg you to send this note to Mr. Hay, requesting him, in my name, to have the kindness to send me directly the assurance referred to above.

Thanks, again.

Fava.