710.11/224a
The Secretary of State to President Wilson
My Dear Mr. President: Since I communicated with you this morning I have had an opportunity to look over some of the newspapers and I find a general idea prevails that the plan of a Pan American Treaty involves the guarantee of republican forms of government.
It seems to me it would be well, therefore, if possible, for you to make clear tonight19 that the plan does not contemplate a guaranty of republican forms of government, but removes from the benefit of the guaranty of territory and independence a nation which abandons the republican form. The guaranty of a republican form would, of course, be a direct interference with the internal affairs of a country and entirely contrary to the views which we have expressed and the course which we have followed in regard to the sovereign right of a people to decide their domestic questions without outside interference.
I make this suggestion in view of the opposition which may be aroused, not only in this country, but in other American republics, if it is thought that there is any plan to coerce the people of a sovereign state in the conduct of their internal affairs.
Faithfully yours,
- In President Wilson’s speech before the Second Pan American Scientific Congress.↩