from your legation, in which it was held that the number of officers in Japan and Korea authorized to issue such certificates ought to be reduced; that there ought not to be more than one official in each country so authorized. My board at once telegraphed to His Excellency Liang to consult with the Department of State, and has now received his reply, saying that he had arranged with the American Department of State that the Chinese minister or chargé d'affaires in Japan and the Chinese consul-general in Korea should issue such certificates. It becomes my duty, therefore, to send this reply to your excellency that you may place it on file. A necessary dispatch. [SEAL OF THE WAI WU PU.] File No. 803/11-12. No. 84.] The Chinese Minister to the Secretary of State. SIR: In pursuance of telegraphic instructions from the Wai Wu Pu, ministry of foreign affairs at Peking, I have the honor to communicate to you the list of Chinese officials specially authorized by my Government to issue to Chinese of the exempt class coming to the United States from other countries than China the certificates prescribed under section 6 of the act of July 5, 1884, viz: 1. The Chinese minister or chargé d'affaires, London, England. 2. The Chinese minister or chargé d'affaires, Paris, France. 3. The Chinese minister or chargé d'affaires, Berlin, Germany. 4. The Chinese minister or chargé d'affaires, St. Petersburg, Russia. 5. The Chinese minister or chargé d'affaires, Vienna, Austria. 6. The Chinese minister or chargé d'affaires, Rome, Italy. 7. The Chinese minister or chargé d'affaires, The Hague, Netherlands. 8. The Chinese minister or chargé d'affaires, Brussels, Belgium. 9. The Chinese minister or chargé d'affaires, Madrid, Spain. 15. The Chinese consul-general, Johannesburg, Transvaal. 18. The Chinese consul-general, Manila, Philippine Islands. 19. The Chinese consul, Honolulu, Hawaii. 20. The Chinese commercial agent, Vladivostok, Siberia. I am informed that the above list has been officially communicated to the American minister at Peking, and I shall be greatly obliged if you will be so kind as to advise the Secretary of Commerce and Labor of the action taken by my Government in conformity with his suggestions in this matter. Accept, etc., File No. 803/11-12. No. 241.] CHENTUNG LIANG CHENG. The Secretary of State to Minister Rockhill. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, January 31, 1907. SIR: I have to acknowledge the receipt of your dispatch No. 472 of the 8th ultimo, inclosing a copy of a note to you from Prince Ch'ing, informing you that he had arranged with this department that the Chinese minister or chargé d'affaires in Japan and the Chinese consul-general in Korea should issue section 6 certificates to Chinese of the exempt class going from those countries to the United States. In this connection I inclose herewith for your information a copy of a note from the Chinese minister here, giving a list of Chinese officials especially authorized by his Government to issue section 6 certificates to Chinese of the exempt class coming to the United States from other countries than China. SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note No. 84, of the 21st instant, giving a list of Chinese officials specially authorized by the Chinese Government to issue to Chinese of the exempt class coming to the United States from other countries than China the certificate prescribed by section 6 of the act of July 5, 1884. In reply I have the honor to say that a copy of your note has been sent to the Secretary of Commerce and Labor, for his information. Accept, etc., ELIHU ROOT. File No. 803/11-12. The Chinese Minister to the Secretary of State. IMPERIAL CHINESE LEGATION, Washington, February 25, 1907. MY DEAR MR. SECRETARY: Referring to my note of the 21st of January last, giving a list of Chinese officials specially authorized by my Government to issue the so-called "section 6 certificates" to Chinese of the exempt class coming to the United States from other countries than China, I take the liberty of suggesting that the diplomatic and consular representatives of the United States abroad be instrusted to recognize and visé the certificates properly issued by the Chinece officials referred to, if they are not already so instructed. This will prevent a great deal of misunderstanding that may arise from the issuance of those certificates. I am, etc., CHENTUNG LIANG CHENG. a Supra. File No. 803/11-12. The Secretary of State to the Chinese Minister. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, March 26, 1907. MY DEAR MR. MINISTER: In acknowledging the receipt of your letter of the 25th ultimo, wherein you suggested that the diplomatic and consular representatives of the United States should be instructed to recognize and visé the certificates properly issued by the Chinese officials referred to in your note of January 21, I beg to inform you that the list of Chinese officials so designated has been duly forwarded to the American diplomatic and consular officers for their information. I am, etc., ELIHU ROOT. COLOMBIA. MESSAGE OF THE PRESIDENT OF COLOMBIA TO THE COLOMBIAN CONGRESS. File No. 5025/3. No. 173.] Chargé Heimké to the Secretary of State. AMERICAN LEGATION, Bogota, April 9, 1907. SIR: I have the honor to transmit herewith, in duplicate, a pamphlet containing the message of the President of the Republic of Colombia addressed to the National Constituent and Legislative Assembly (which met in this city on the 1st instant), besides the reports made to that body by the ministers of the cabinet. I have translated and transmit herewith, in duplicate, the aforementioned message, and (also in duplicate) that portion of the report made to the assembly by the minister for foreign affairs (p. 33 of the pamphlet) wherein he refers to the existing relations between Colombia and the United States. Summarizing the other portions of the report of the minister for foreign affairs, in speaking of the Holy See, he says, principally, that the papal delegation at this capital has left nothing undone to cultivate and maintain harmonious relations between the Government and the church; that through opportune foresight the Holy See had obtained the best possible organization of the dioceses and vicarages, toward which the Government had lent its proper cooperation, and that much is due to the apostolic delegate here for his efforts toward the creation of good feeling among the masses and for his labors in the interests of peace and concord. Concerning Ecuador, the minister refers to a pending treaty of friendship, commerce, and navigation between that country and Colombia, signed at Quito on the 10th of August, 1905, in substitution for the treaty of 1856 between those countries, which is regarded as practically obsolete, and that the principal feature of the new treaty is the reciprocal free trade between Ecuador and Colombia. Another one spoken of in connection with Ecuador is the Andrade-Betancourt treaty concerning Colombia's boundary question, which was submitted to the Emperor of Germany for arbitration and is lacking only the formality of its return, while a third treaty, or telegraph convention, signed in the city on the 5th of May, 1906, the exchange of which is awaited, relates to reciprocal rates, or tolls, etc., in connection with the transmission of telegrams between points in Ecuador and Venezuela through Colombian territory and vice versa, and between Ecuador and Colombia. With reference to Brazil, the minister speaks of Colombia's boundary question and of the free navigation of the rivers, which matters, he adds, he will in due time bring to the attention of the assembly for its study and approval. Relative to Great Britain the minister informs the assembly that, in order to facilitate trade relations between the two countries, a convention was signed with Great Britain on the 22d of December, 1906, concerning property rights, which pact insures the citizens and subjects of either contracting party the same rights and gives them the same legal recourse enjoyed by them within the territory of the other now, or that may hereafter be, sanctioned by their respective laws with reference to trade-marks, commercial names, labels, designs, or industrial models, patents on inventions, etc. Speaking of Italy, reference only is made to the reception of the minister resident from that country to Colombia, which took place on the 20th of January, 1906, and through whom cordial relations were reestablished between the two nations, and that the invitation from Italy that Colombia be represented at the Commercial Congress at Milan had been accepted. With Peru, the minister reports, a modus vivendi was celebrated by Colombia at Lima on the 6th of July, 1906, by which the statu quo in the territory in litigation between those countries is to be maintained until the definite settlement of the controversy. The matter of the boundary question between Colombia, Peru, and Ecuador is now before the King of Spain for arbitration, and the minister adds that if the sentence should award to Peru territory claimed by Colombia as belonging to her, the decision as to the rightful ownership thereof will be submitted to His Holiness. The minister, in speaking of the Third Pan-American Conference, says, particularly with reference to the question of arbitration, the Colombian delegates offered the following resolution in a meeting of that body: Considering that the American Republics have always inclined toward the principle of arbitration as a means of maintaining international peace, and that they have been invited to the next conference at The Hague, the third conference, in convention at Rio de Janeiro, resolves: To confirm its adhesion to the principle of arbitration; and that in order to give force to this elevated purpose, recommends to the nations represented thereat, that they intrust their delegates to the second conference at The Hague to endeavor to procure the adoption of a general agreement of arbitration so effective and definite that, with the deserving approbation of the civilized world, it be accepted and put in force by every nation. The Government of Colombia was invited by the Russian embassy at Washington to indicate its adherence to the "agreement governing the laws and customs of warfare on land and sea, and of the principles of the Convention of Geneva of the 22d of August, 1864," as well as to name representatives to the next conference at The Hague, which invitations have been accepted, and Colombia named Gen. Jorge Holguin as its delegate to that conference. The consular service is referred to by the minister as having been improved in the matter of its personnel, in order to maintain abroad a proper corps which will give its scrupulous attention to the development and advancement of Colombia's incipient industries, etc.; that recently clerkships have been established at several consulates, which are given preferably to persons (Colombians) who have concluded |