The Acting Secretary of State to Minister Combs.
Washington, May 18, 1910.
Your telegrams of to-day. The one splendid and all-important fact is the joint offer of mediation by the three Governments, which are in such entire accord. In these happy circumstances any unnecessary quibbles would be folly. As for the perfection of those formalities and unessential details which haste made it impossible to arrange in advance, as a matter of procedure the department thinks that all three representatives should sign the English, Spanish, and Portuguese texts, the signatures of each taking precedence in the text of his own language. The department has examined the Portuguese text and does not doubt that the Spanish is equally satisfactory. Your actual presentation of the note on the 16th and its formal delivery at Quito to-day having satisfied the condition of publication, the department to-day gives out a full official statement. The Government of the United States is happy to learn that Peru will accept.