COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE AGENT OF THE UNITED STATES 

 TO THE AGENT OF GREAT BRITAIN. 



IN RELATION TO ERRONEOUS TRANSLATIONS OF CERTAIN 

 RUSSIAN DOCUMENTS REFERRED TO IN THE CASE OF 

 THE UNITED STATES. 



Mr. Foster to Mr. Tupper. 



Washington, November 2, 1892. 



Sir : I deem it my duty to bring to your attention, without delay, 

 the fact that it has been discovered by me that a number of the docu- 

 ments belonging to the archives of the Territory of Alaska, now in the 

 possession of the Department of State, and referred to in the Case of 

 the United States before the Tribunal of Arbitration delivered to you 

 on September 1 last, were incorrectly translated from the Russian 

 language in which the originals appear. Lithographic reproductions 

 of the original documents are to be found in Volume I of the Appendix 

 to the Case of the United States, following page 591, and English 

 translations of the same are given in Volume I, pages 49 to 90. It has 

 within the last few days been ascertained that some of these transla- 

 tions are incorrect, but to what extent I have not yet been able accu- 

 rately to determine. A thorough examination is now being made, and 

 at the earliest practicable date I shall furnish you with revised and 

 corrected translations and indicate the pages in the Printed Case of 

 the United States where the erroneous translations have been quoted 

 or referred to. I have, however, not been content to await the result 

 of that examination, and I hasten to inform you of the above fact, and 

 to assure you that this announcement shall be followed by a more de- 

 tailed statement with as little delay as possible. 



The nature of the errors referred to seem to make it certain that the 

 Government of the United States has been grossly imposed upon by a 

 person employed on the work of translation. What the motive for such 

 imposition may have been I have no knowledge, and I forbear from 

 any mention of my suspicions. 



I have the honor to be, with the highest respect, your obedient 

 servant, 



John W. Foster, 

 Agent of the United States. 



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