72 THE TREATY OF WASHINGTON. 



" Wc arc of opinion that the announcement tliis day made 

 by tlie Tribunal must he received by the United States as de- 

 terminative of its judgment on the question of public hiw in- 

 volved, as to which the United States have insisted on taking 

 the opinion of the Tribunal. We advise, therefore, that it 

 should be submitted to, as precluding the propriety of further 

 insisting upon the claims covered by this declaration of the 

 Tribunal, and that the United States, with a view of maintain- 

 ino- the due course of the arbitration on the other claims with- 

 out adjournment, should announce to the Tribunal that the 

 said claims covered by its opinion will not be further insisted 

 upon before the Tribunal by the United States, and may be 

 excluded from all consideration by the Tribunal in making its 

 award." 



Ill response, the Secretary of State communicated 



the determination of tlie President, as follows : 



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

 rects me to say that he accepts the declaration of the Tribunal 

 as its judgment upon a question of public law, which he had 

 felt that the interests of both Governments required should 

 be decided, and for the determination of which he had felt it 

 important to present the claims referred to for the purpose of 

 taking the opinion of the Tribunal. 



"Tliis is the attainment of an end which this Government 

 had in view in the putting forth of those claims. We had no 

 desire for a pecuniary award, but desired an exj^ression by the 

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

 acter. The President, therefore, further accepts the opinion 

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

 the announcement to the Tribunal that he accepts their decla- 

 ration as determinative of their judgment upon the important 

 question of public law as to which he had felt it his duty to 

 seek the expression of their opinion ; and that, in accordance 

 with such judgment and opinion, from henceforth he regards 

 the claims set forth in the Case presented on the part of the 

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

 cial marine to the British flag, the enhanced payment of insur- 

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



