The President of Mexico to President Taft.
President Taft: The Mexican foreign office has just received the following telegraphic message, coming from the minister general of President Madriz of Nicaragua:
A matter, grave and momentous for Nicaragua, compels me to trespass upon your high attention. Our civil war was about to be finished by the taking of Bluefields by our army. The commander of the American cruiser Paducah landed forces at Blue-fields and he warned us that he would oppose our occupying the place, although the center and forces of the revolutionary party are there. We captured the Bluff, which is the key to Bluefields, defeating the armed resistance, and were going to establish a blockade. The American Government prevents it in the case of American ships. Declares that the customs duties must be paid to the revolution which has established a new customhouse on Schooner Key, and insists that said ships shall freely pass our positions, even though they carry munitions for the revolutionary forces. The commander of the Paducah threatened that he would sink our boats if our forces attacked Bluefields, and that he would enforce respect for American commerce with his guns, even in the case of munitions for the revolutionary forces. These, though now confined to Bluefields, are safely making their preparations there to attack us. President Madriz cabled these facts to President Taft, asking for neutrality. In informing the Government of your Excellency, I respectfully solicit your good offices with the Cabinet of Washington in order that it may leave this Government free in the pacification of the country without the above-recited restrictions, which are the real cause of the war’s continuing with incurable injuries and serious danger to this Republic. Nicaragua invokes her rights of sovereignty, the universal principles of justice and declarations made by the American Government in favor of the weak nations of the continent. She trusts, besides, in the moral support of friendly nations, especially of the sister republics of America. I urgently beg your Excellency (to acknowledge receipt of this?) and I sign myself, with all consideration, your obedient servant,
Minister General F. Baca.
If the facts are truly stated in all points, I venture to recommend earnestly and in a friendly manner to your Excellency that, actuated [Page 753] once more by the lofty spirit of justice which has always distinguished the Government of the United States of America, the instructions which Nicaragua deplores will be taken into consideration, in order to permit the Government of Madriz, within a moderately brief time, to effect the complete pacification which it offers, since the prolongation of a state of war in Nicaragua perhaps may harm the whole of Central America. If, in any other manner, your Excellency deems that my good offices may be useful for the pacification of Nicaragua, I shall always be disposed to exercise them.
[Note.—The above-mentioned circular note, signed by Minister General F. Baca, is understood to have been communicated to all the Latin-American Governments.]