John Jay to the minister of the imperial house and for foreign affairs, January 9, 1872

Mr. Jay to the minister of the imperial house and for foreign affairs.

The undersigned, envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary of the United States of America, has the honor to acknowledge the most courteous note (45/H. P., 7th January) of his excellency the Count Andrassy, minister of the imperial house and of foreign affairs.

In this note his excellency expresses the great pleasure with which the imperial royal ministry for foreign affairs has learned, from a report of the Austro-Hungarian legation at Washington, of the friendly interest cherished by the Government of the United States of America in the success of that great patriotic work, the Universal Exposition at Vienna.

His excellency kindly ascribing this favorable feeling on the part of the American Government in large measure to the co-operation of their envoy at Vienna, has done the undersigned the great honor of expressing to him the thanks of the imperial royal government, and of asking for his continued co operation.

If the undersigned is unable to accept the credit so generally ascribed to him, a credit which properly belongs to the Austro-Hungarian envoy at Washington, he may say with truth that his excellency has rightly appreciated the interest with which he has watched the admirable organization of a work which promises so much for science and for art, for peaceful civilization, and popular progress, and whose beneficial influence will be shared not only by the people of Austria-Hungary, but by the world at large.

The undersigned begs leave to assure his excellency that it will always afford hint the sincerest pleasure to do whatever lies in his power to accomplish, in this regard, the favoring wishes of the President, whose friendly interest in the success of the Exposition has been so cordially expressed to the envoy of the imperial and royal government.

The undersigned, &c,