Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, With the Annual Message of the President Transmitted to Congress December 3, 1912

File No. 437.00/34.

The Acting Secretary of State to the American Minister.

No. 60.]

Department of State,
Washington, April 6, 1912.

Sir: The Department acknowledges the receipt of your No. 104 of February 12 regarding the so-called insurrectionary claims against Cuba, enclosing a copy of a personal note addressed to you by Señor Sanguily. This note has been read with special interest by the Department, which has noted particularly the statement therein contained of Señor Sanguily’s recollection of what transpired at the interview he had during the recent visit of the President of the United States to Guantánamo. The passage of the note referring to this matter was transcribed to the President who was requested to inform the Department whether the report of the conversation at Guantánamo touching the matter of the revolutionary claims was accurate. The President replied to this request of the Department in a letter dated March 14, a copy of which is inclosed for the information of the Legation. It should be added that a copy of this letter of the President is also going in this mail to the Secretary for his consideration should he have the opportunity to take up personally with the Cuban Government the matter of the outstanding claims against Cuba during his visit to Habana.

I am [etc.]

Huntington Wilson.

[Inclosure.]

The Presdent to the Acting Secretary of State.

The White House,
Washington, March 14, 1912.

My Dear Mr. Wilson: I have Mr. Adee’s letter of March 12¹ in reference to my conversation with Mr. Sanguily, the Secretary of State of Cuba. His statement is true as he has given it. I expressed the opinion that the claims of which he told me were so great in amount as really to swamp the Cuban Government, and that my impression was that the decisions of the Court of Spanish Claims in Washington would furnish a good defense to most of them, but that I would take the matter up with Secretary Knox at a later stage.

Mr. Sanguily says that I said that the result of my conference with Mr. Knox would be made known to him. My recollection is that I suggested that he present the matter.

Sincerely yours,

Wm. H. Taft.

1. Not printed.