File No. 837.77/94.
The Secretary of State to the British Ambassador.
Washington, February 25, 1913.
Excellency: Referring to my note to you of the 8th instant in which I informed you [etc.] I have now the honor to inform you that before this instruction could be carried out a request was received by the Department on behalf of the Compañía Ferrocarril de la Costa Norte de Cuba that further action in this matter be postponed until the contentions of that company in opposition to the petition of the Cuban Central Railway had been heard.
This request was complied with and an opportunity has now been given to the representatives of the Compañía Ferrocarril de la Costa Note de Cuba to present its contentions in regard to the questions under consideration and upon a careful reexamination of the subject it has become evident that the controversy between these two rival companies is not of a character which requires this Government to give a preference to either one as against the other. The instructions to the American Minister in Cuba, therefore, with reference to the presentation, in compliance with your request, of the copy of the petition above mentioned to the Cuban Government will conform to this view.
I have [etc.]