;2 Tin: THE AT Y 01- WASHINGTON'. 



" Wu arc of ojiiiiion tliat tlic announcement this ilay made 

 liy the Tribunal must be roceivoa by tlic United States as dc- 

 tcrminativc of its judL^'ment on the ([uestion of i)ublic law in- 

 volved, as to whicii llie United States have insisted on taking 

 tlie opinion of the Tribunal. "NVe advise, therefore, thai it 

 should be hubmilted to, as jtreelnding the itropriely of further 

 insi.H(iii'4 \i].on the claims covered by this deelarati(MJ of tho 

 Tril)uual,aud that the United Slates, with (i view of maintain- 

 in;4 the due course of the arbitration on the other claims with- 

 out adjournnu-nt, shotild announce to the Tribunal that tho 

 Kaidclain\s covereil by its opinion will not be further insisted 

 tipon before the Tribunal by the I'nited States, and may bo 

 cxeluiled from all consideration l)y tho Tribmial in making its 

 nward," 



In ivsjionso, ilio St'ci'ctuiy of State coimnmiicftted 

 tlu; dt'tcnniiiatlon of tlio President, ny follows: 



"I have laid your telegrams before the President, who di- 

 rects nu' to say tliat he a'-eepts the declaration of the Tribunal 

 as its juduinent »ipon u (piestion of public law, which he had 

 felt that the interests of both (5overnn\ei\ts re(piired slio\dd 

 be .derided, and Ibr th(^ delermiiuit ion of which he had felt it 

 important to ju-esent the eluims I'efei'red to for the purjiose of 

 taking the opinion of the Tribunal. 



"This is the attainntent of an end which this CJovernincnt 

 liad in view in the putting forth of those claims. AVe had no 

 desire for a jjccuniary award, but desired an exjircssion by tho 

 Tribunal .as to the liability of a neutral for claims of that char- 

 acter. The IVcsident, therefore, further accepts the opinion 

 and advice of the Counsel as set forth above, and authorizes 

 the ann(unicement to the Tribunal that le accepts their decla- 

 ration ns determinative of their judgment upon the important 

 (piestion of puhlic law ns to -which ho iuid felt it his duty to 

 K'ck the expression of their opinion; ami that, in accordance 

 with such judgment ami opinion, fron\ hencefoi'th ho regards 

 the claims set I'orth in tho Case presented on tho part of tho 

 United States for loss in the transfer of the American commer- 

 cial marine to the British Hag, tho enhanced payment of insur- 

 ance, and tho prolongation of tho war, and tho addition of a 



