File No. 312.11/1033.

The American Ambassador to the Secretary of State.

[Telegram—Paraphrase.]

Department’s January 7, 5 p.m. I believe that while it is my duty faithfully to reflect and execute instructions it is also my duty [Page 926] to repeat that the matters set forth in our note of September 15, 19121—to which we have asked a categorical and explicit answer—should be treated collectively instead of independently. We owe it, I believe, to our dignity to require clear, specific promises of satisfaction for all the items of complaint set forth in that note.

While fully sharing the Department’s estimate of Mr. Lascurain, my experience with him, and that of the Chargé d’Affaires in my absence, is that while he is prolific in promises his performance is negligible, probably because of little or no influence with the administration; and that while sincere he makes an entirely inaccurate estimate of the situation.

Wilson.