File No. 710.ll/90a and 90b.
[Untitled]
Washington , January 14, 1913 .
To the American Diplomatic Officers in Latin America.
Gentlemen: The Department learns that within the last few months articles have appeared in various newspapers in South and Central America commenting on an alleged speech of Senator Root dealing with Latin-American affairs. Senator Root is quoted as saying, among other things:
It is only a question of time until Mexico, Central America, and the islands that we still lack in the Caribbean Sea, will be brought under our flag.
and other statements of a similar nature are attributed to him. This matter was first brought to the notice of the Department by the American Minister to Honduras1, after an article of this character had appeared on October 26 last in “El Cronista,” a newspaper in Tegucigalpa,
Upon this article being brought to his attention, Senator Root authorized the following statement, which was transmitted by cable1 to Minister White [at Tegucigalpa], and subsequently appeared in the press of Tegucigalpa:
Washington, November 25, 1912.
The newspaper “El Cronista” of Tegucigalpa published on October 26, 1912, certain alleged extracts from some speech of mine.
These are impudent forgeries. I never made any such speech. I never said any such things. The expressions contained in. these spurious and pretended extracts are inconsistent with my opinions and abhorrent to my feelings. They are the exact opposite of the views which I have expressed on hundreds of occasions, during many years, both publicly and privately, officially and personally, and which I now hold and maintain.
Elihu Root.
Should newspaper articles of the character quoted above, attributing utterances of this nature to Senator Root, appear in the press of the country to which you are accredited, you will cause such publicity to be made of Senator Root’s statement as in your judgment may be necessary to counteract the effect of such articles.
I am [etc.]