File No. 812.113/251.
[Untitled]
Washington, March 28, 1912—3 p.m.
Department is disinclined to accede to the request of Cook and Beck, conveyed in your March 25, 11 a.m., without more specific information as to how urgently this large amount of arms and ammunition is needed and the purpose to which they are to be put. Department will not recommend shipments of rifles, cartridges, etc., except upon your own assumption of responsibility. To establish a precedent of this kind appears unwise because others may make similar requests, with which for some reason it would be found impossible to comply. Noncompliance would then be pointed out as adverse discrimination.