La Prensa of to-day says, referring to Governor Godoy's telegraphic request that the intervention be limited to his restoration: * * The national Government can and ought not to take it into account The intervention is to guarantee the republican form of government destroyed and corrupted during a long series of years; for in San Juan the constitution of the Province is simply a fiction. There exists there no administration of justice, no municipal régime, no primary education; and as regards the exercise of civil rights, this is subordinated to the will of advisers thoroughly corrupt *. The cause of the revolutionists is that of the people of San Juan, it comprehends the persistence of their institutions and respect for the exercise of their civic rights * * *. Whatever reservations there may be in the instructions [of the interventor] let him not forget this: In San Juan there is a real cause, that is above all others, the cause of the people, whose voice and whose aspirations after justice have been heard throughout the Republic in spite of the repression exerted by audacious advisers [to the Governor]. ** * * The affairs of San Juan thus seem in a fair way to improvement. Meanwhile alarms and rumors are rife throughout the country. The governor of Entre Rios is overwhelmed with alarms. Reports from Corrientes are most unsatisfactory. Other uncertain rumors have been received from La Plata, capital of the Province of Buenos Aires, and the capital of the Republic itself is disturbed by alarms so serious that extraordinary precautions have been taken and a constant vigilance exercised. A detachment of the national marine was sent up the river Parana several days ago, and the Tenth Infantry has been ordered from the capital to Corrientes and replaced by another from the Campo de Mayo, a post near the capital. I am, etc., File No. 4478/3. A. M. BEAUPRÉ. Chargé Wilson to the Secretary of State. [Telegram.-Paraphrase.] AMERICAN LEGATION, Buenos Aires, October 5, 1907. (Mr. Wilson states that the situation in the Province of Corrientes is serious, but confined to that Province, and that several fights have taken place between the revolutionary and government forces. Informs Mr. Root that Las Palmas, a steamer belonging to an American citizen, has been seized by the revolutionists and that he has requested the Government to take the necessary measures for its return. Says that the revolutionists have taken two boats belonging to Italian subjects.) File No. 4478/4. Chargé Wilson to the Secretary of State. [Telegram.-Paraphrase.] AMERICAN LEGATION, Buenos Aires, October 9, 1907. (Mr. Wilson reports, referring to his cablegram of the 5th instant, that the steamer Las Palmas was returned to its owner yesterday.) File No. 4478/5. No. 624.] Chargé Wilson to the Secretary of State. [Extract.] AMERICAN LEGATION, Buenos Aires, October 9, 1907. SIR: I have the honor to confirm my telegram of the 5th instant, as follows (supra), and the following telegram of to-day's date (supra). On October 4 I received a telegram from one Jorge Dunster, stating that he was an American citizen, owner of a steamer called Las Palmas, which had been seized by the revolutionary forces in Corrientes, and asking the assistance of the legation. At the weekly reception of the minister of foreign affairs that day, I showed Doctor Zeballos the telegram from Mr. Dunster. He told me that he had received the same complaint from the Italian legation in regard to two steamers seized by the revolutionists, and told me to direct Mr. Dunster to at once make a protest against the seizure of his property before the proper provincial authorities. This I tried to do, but as the telegraph service with Corrientes was interrupted I could not communicate with Mr. Dunster. I therefore wrote a note to the minister of foreign affairs stating the case and requesting him to take necessary steps for the return of the boat to its owner. In reply Doctor Zeballos stated that the case was one in which the owner of the boat should have recourse to regular legal means for its recovery, but that, however, at my request he had sent a telegram to the authorities at Corrientes, and I am this morning in receipt of a telegram from Mr. Dunster saying that his boat was handed over to him on the 8th instant. As told by the minister of foreign affairs, I have instructed Mr. Dunster to make his protest before the proper provincial authorities for the seizure of his boat. I am, etc., CHARLES S. WILSON. MESSAGE OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE ARGENTINE REPUBLIC TO THE ARGENTINE CONGRESS. File No. 4519/4-5. No. 540.] Minister Beaupré to the Secretary of State. [Extract.] AMERICAN LEGATION, Buenos Aires, May 10, 1907. SIR: I have the honor to report that on the 8th instant the FortySixth National Congress was opened by the President of the Republic, with the usual imposing ceremonies. This event should have taken place on the 1st instant, but the President has been slightly ill, sufficiently so to cause the delay. To the joint assembly of both houses, and in the presence of the ministers of state, the diplomatic corps, judges of the supreme court, and representatives of the civil, military, and naval departments of the Government, the President personally read his message. It is a very long document, reviewing at length the administrative efforts of the past year, and presenting the important questions upon which this Congress will be asked to legislate. It contains no startling proposals. Even that part relating to the increase of the Argentine navy, which the President recommended very forcibly in his last message, simply calls attention to the inefficiency of the present naval force, and says: My Government is of the opinion that, with due regard to the exigencies of the national finances, the naval defense of the country should not be deliberately left in a position of such marked inferiority that it can not be counted upon to respond to its mission if called to defend our coasts. Concerning foreign relations, the President reports the country at peace with all the world, and, among other things, says: The most notable diplomatic event of the year was the visit of the Secretary of State of the United States of America to the various South American Republics, including Argentina. The eminent statesman, Mr. Root, brought a message of grateful cordiality and sympathy from the American people and from the distinguished President Roosevelt, and at every opportunity he expressed the most elevated and sincere thoughts respecting the future relations of the American countries, between themselves and with other nations. I shall always retain as one of my most pleasant recollections the visit of Mr. Root, to whose country and to whose person the Argentine Republic paid tribute, through all its organs, by the greatest and merited demonstrations of hospitality and sympathy. The journey of Mr. Root has commenced to bring positive results, for now there is greater vigor displayed in the augmentation of our commercial relations, and, to the benefit of their development, a more generous and resolute action by the public authorities of the United States of America. The European powers, on their part, have offered us frequent testimonials of their consideration and friendship. I have had the honor and pleasure of receiving autograph letters from the sovereigns of England and of Spain, elevating to the first class the rank of their diplomatic representatives in this country. Considering the immense number of foreign residents in Argentina, it is satisfactory to me to add that not a single case has arisen to warrant diplomatic intervention, properly so called. The representatives of the foreign powers are rarely at the foreign office in the interests of their constituents, except in search of information. * * The chapter relating to finance is the one which will be read with the most interest abroad, and it is a most satisfactory statement of the financial situation of the country. To quote: If Providence and national labor should yield us a surplus revenue similar to that of last year, it could not be less than $43,772,000 national money. That was as a matter of fact the surplus of 1906, which was employed in covering extraordinary expenses authorized by yourselves, omitting the emission of bonds on the internal debt. Of this recourse use was made during the year only for the sum of $1,000,177 in spite of the fact that expenditure placed to account of bonds reached $27,419,540 national money on the 31st December, 1906. As the surplus of $43,772,000 did not suffice to cover these extraordinary expenses and those authorized by special laws and agreements, and the estimates for 1906 were sanctioned with a deficit of $5,000,000, it was necessary to use these resources, also extraordinary, to the extent of $11,445,026, even although the executive was empowered by the budget law to issue as much as $42,892,124 national money. Up to the 31st December last the total amount emissible in bonds at any given moment by various estimates and special laws was $53,655,140 national money. The market can not continue under the uneasiness produced by emissions not imperatively required by the national progress, and I esteem that a prudential sum should be reserved to consolidate debts incurred for unexpected contingencies or to meet urgent needs, and that the major portion of this emission should be formally renounced, which course would contribute to the firmness and better quotation of the internal credit of the nation. The internal debt now amounts to $SS,243,800 national money and $3,701 gold; the treasury bills in circulation amount to $411,437 gold and $4,995,253 national money; the foreign consolidated debt is $324,333,116 gold. In the first quarter of this year the value of the imports was $54,660,885 gold and the value of the exports $96.946,217, each of which amounts exceeds the figures of the corresponding period of 1906. I am sending herewith two copies, with translation, of the President's message. I am, sir, etc., SIR: I have the honor herewith to transmit the usual number (2) of copies of an executive decree of the 8th instant, cut from the Boletin Official, No. 3978, of the 13th instant, whereby are approved the final acts of the mixed Argentine-Brazilian commission appointed in accordance with the provisions of the Argentine-Brazilian protocol of August 9, 1905, to describe and mark the boundary between this Republic and that of Brazil, in accordance with the arbitral decision of the President of the United States of February 5, 1895, to whom the same had been submitted in pursuance of a treaty of September 7, 1889, between these two neighboring Republics. It is also provided in this decree for the necessary steps to the transfer from this country to Brazil of the islands that were declared Brazilian territory and for the transfer from Brazil to this country of the islands declared Argentine territory. A translation accompanies the decree. I am, etc., A. M. BEAUPRÉ. [Inclosure. Translation.] Decree approving the final acts of the mixed international commission of limits with Brazil. BUENOS AIRES, February 8, 1907. Having seen the final acts of demarcation of the dividing line between the Argentine Republic and the Republic of the United States of Brazil, subscribed by the mixed international commission created in accordance with the protocols of August 9, 1895, October 1, 1898, and August 2, 1900, and having seen, likewise, the general plans of the frontier demarked, traced, and subscribed to by the same commission in fulfillment of Article VI of the treaty of October 6, 1898. The provisional president of the Senate, in exercise of the executive power, decrees: ART. I. The final acts subscribed by the mixed international commission of June 8, July 15, and August 8, 1904, are approved, in which is traced and described the dividing line between the two countries, from the mouth of the Cuareim to that of the Pepiri Guazú; from the mouth of the latter to the principal source of the river San Antonio, and from there following its bed to its conjunction with the river Iguazú; and from the mouth of the river San Antonio to its conjunction with the Paraná. ART. II. Likewise is approved the general plan of demarcation signed by the members of the mixed international commission, which plan was approved and subscribed by it, as shown by the act of October 6, 1901. • Not printed. ART. III. The minister for foreign affairs will enter into the necessary agreements in order to take possession of the islands which said acts and plans declare to be Argentine and for the transfer of the islands which in like manner belong to the Republic of the United States of Brazil. ART. IV. Let it be communicated, published, and given to the National Register. (Mr. Bacon informs Mr. Beaupré that the Department of Agriculture has been advised that 225 cases deviled ham, packed by Underwood Company, Boston, were rejected by the Argentine officials on account of alleged presence of borax, and that the cases were ordered to be removed within three days. Mr. Bacon states that the Department of Agriculture is unable to credit finding. Directs Mr. Beaupré to urge delay of reshipment until further investigation and, if possible, to have samples sent here.) File No. 7661/1. Minister Beaupré to the Secretary of State. [Telegram.-Paraphrase.] AMERICAN LEGATION, Buenos Aires, July 19, 1907. (Mr. Beaupré states that the Government's analysis of deviled ham shows a small quantity of boric acid, and that time has been granted for reshipment until an investigation has been made. Says he will send samples.) File No. 7661/7-8. No. 567.] Minister Beaupré to the Secretary of State. AMERICAN LEGATION, Buenos Aires, July 20, 1907. SIR: Referring to the department's telegram of the 18th instant and to my telegram in reply of the 19th instant, concerning the rejection of 225 cases of William Underwood Company's deviled ham by the Argentine customs authorities, because of the alleged presence of boric acid, and also to my No. 544, of May 15 last," relating to the same general subject, I have the honor to report that immediately upon the receipt of the department's telegram I took the matter up a Not printed. |