File No. 812.00/7431.
The American Ambassador to the Secretary of State.
Mexico, May 8, 1913—8 p.m.
225. The President yesterday informed me that public opinion was being greatly irritated throughout the country on account of the delay of our Government in recognizing the present Provisional Government, for which there seemed to be no good reason, as it has been recognized by Great Britain and Spain and would soon be recognized by Germany, Italy, and France. He said that this Government was earnestly endeavoring to perform all of its international obligations; that it was rapidly reorganizing and increasing the army for the reestablishment of peace and the protection of foreigners; [Page 800] that this administration, though not elected, had been as legally constituted as any government could possibly be; that it was solvent although it had entered upon its task of reestablishing order with a bankrupt treasury left by the Madero administration, which had plundered the nation, and with no army; that constitutional liberties were being granted to all law-abiding Mexicans; that by careful administration and wise direction of public funds a new army had been built up, equipped, and was about to take the aggressive against the rebels throughout the Republic. In view of these facts his administration regarded as unwise the attitude of the United States in refusing to accord it official recognition; that such an attitude was susceptible of an unfriendly interpretation; and that in the event of this Government failing to sustain itself the opinion of the Latin-American world was certain to place the responsibility for whatever disasters might follow upon the administration at Washington. He said that on this account his Government did not feel that it would be justified, in view of a hostile public opinion and of the undignified position in which it would be placed by so doing, in concluding the important questions at present pending between the two Governments—that is to say, the Chamizal and Colorado River cases and the special and general claims cases. He added that the Washington Government’s views in these and other, cases had been accepted in principle by this Government, and that whenever the Government of the United States would place this Government in the position of settling the questions as matters between two friendly and sovereign if not equally powerful countries their solution might be expected.
I replied briefly that the views of the President and Secretary of State on this question had not been communicated to me and asked if he desired me to transmit the substance of what he had said to Washington. He asked me to do so.