File No. 837.00/755.
The Secretary of State to the American Minister.
Washington, June 14, 1912—3 p.m.
Your telegram June 13. You may give publicity to the following statement:
Under instructions from the Government of the United States, the Legation gives notice that no credence should be attached to reports as to the policy or action of the United States except only authentic official statements by the Department of State or by this Legation.
On March 13 the President of the United States called special attention to the bad effect of unauthorized promulgation of false rumors. The occasion for now reverting to the subject is due to the story being circulated in Habana and elsewhere to the effect that the President is planning to send a representative to Cuba in connection with questions between the Cuban Government and the insurrectionists.
Although the policy of the United States has, from the very first, been made absolutely clear, so industrious is the circulation of malicious and uninformed rumors that it may be worth while once again to state that only measures of precaution and of ordinary protection of American life and property have been taken: measures irrespective of the special relations of the United States and Cuba and unrelated to the possibility of intervention. These measures do not [Page 266] relieve Cuba of its obligation fully to protect foreign life and property, although they have been recognized as greatly strengthening the hand of the Cuban Government Indeed, the spirit of these measures has been well called a “preventive policy”—a policy of giving Cuba every opportunity to vindicate its national position.
As was officially stated by the Secretary of State on June 10: “The United States is not contemplating intervention in Cuba, but hopes and believes the Cuban Government will, by prompt and active measures, be able to suppress the insurrection.”