Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, With the Address of the President to Congress December 2, 1913

File No. 765.003.

The Secretary of State to the Italian Chargé d’Affaires.

No. 380.]

Department of State,
Washington, February 28, 1913.

Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of the note (No. 1704) of October 30, 1912, by which, under instruction from your Government, you informed me that in view of the cessation of the special regime formerly enjoyed by foreigners in Tripolitania and Cyrenaica by virtue of the Capitulations of the Ottoman Empire, the necessary instructions had been issued to the Royal authorities in Libya in order that, from November 1st, 1912, the dispositions of the general law should be forthwith applied to foreigners, under the reserve of providing for the settlement of all pending questions by eventual accords and further dispositions.

In taking note of this communication, I have the honor to inform you that the appropriate diplomatic and consular representatives of this Government have now been instructed¹ to conform to the legal situation thus established in Libya.

I take this occasion further to inform you that the American Consulate at Tripoli will henceforth be administered as subordinate to the Consulate General at Genoa, under the supervision of the American Embassy at Rome. It is assumed that it will not be necessary to make application for a new exequatur for the Consul who has been exercising his functions at Tripoli since before the occupation of Libya by the Italian forces.

Accept [etc.]

P. C. Knox.

1. By telegrams of February 27; not printed.