File No. 124.126/5.

The Acting Secretary of State to Ambassador Wilson.

No. 133.]

Sir: The department acknowledges the receipt of your dispatch No. 220, of the 19th ultimo,1 with which you inclose a memorandum, prepared by Mr. d’Antin, of the embassy, in which he suggests the advisability of the embassy’s discontinuing the practice of translating into the Spanish language documents by which demands for extradition are made by the United States on the Government of Mexico. You express the opinion that such translations should be made by the Mexican foreign office.

In reply you are informed that the translation of papers in extradition cases is not a service which the surrendering Government should be called upon to perform. The demanding Government should furnish translations of the documents, and the cost of translation is one of the items of the expenses of extradition, to be borne by the Government seeking the extradition—by the Federal Government if the offense charged is against the Federal laws, and by the particular State of the Union when the offense is against the State laws.

I am, etc.,

Alvey A. Adee.
  1. Not printed.