File No. 812.77/111.
The American Ambassador to the Secretary of State.
Mexico, March 12, 1912.
Sir: Referring to my telegram of February 3, 1912,1 I have the honor to report that during an interview with the President on March 11th I called his attention to the gravity of the situation which would result from a strike of the American employees on the National Railways, now impending because of the announced determination of the Government to enforce the use of the Spanish language in all train orders and to require examinations in Spanish. I expressed the opinion that this strike would not only paralyze traffic and the transportation of troops and close factories, but it would also involve an attempted boycott on incoming and outgoing Mexican freight on the other side of the Rio Grande and that labor organizations in the United States would, as I was informed, pass resolutions denunciatory of the Mexican Government and asking American employers of Mexican labor in the United States to follow the example made by the Mexican Government. The President expressed himself as being in accord with me as to the undesirability of provoking this contest at the present time, and said that he would give immediate orders to have the obnoxious language order indefinitely postponed. I hope with this action the grave difficulties which I have been anticipating and fearing may be postponed for some time.
I have [etc.]