File No. 611.627/140.
The American Ambassador to the Secretary of State.
Berlin , September 22, 1910 .
Sir: I have the honor to inform you that Mr. Mack H. Davis, commercial adviser to the Department of State, presented himself at the embassy on September 15. Mr. Davis is fully satisfied that it is necessary for our Government to bring some pressure upon the German Government in order to procure from the latter the full recognition of the rights of the American contractors whose contracts have been rendered practically valueless by the operation of the law; and in this I fully agree with him * * *. Mr. Davis will begin with a thorough inquiry into the ends and purposes of the German Government in passing the potash law of May 25 [sic], 1910 * * *. Mr. Davis and I are in perfect accord as regards the necessity of causing the German Imperial Government to understand that the American Government must insist upon respect for the American contracts, and that while we expect the German Government to perform its promises in this regard, the American Government will if necessary be advised to take such action as it may be able to take in accordance with its own laws to enforce the rights of American citizens.
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