612.1123/140½
President Wilson to the Secretary of State
My Dear Mr. Secretary: Since the discussion in the cabinet this morning of the situation at Progreso I have been giving a great deal of serious thought to the questions then raised and have come to this conclusion:
I think that we are justified, in all the circumstances, in saying to Carranza that we cannot recognize his right to blockade the port to the exclusion of our commerce; that we just [must?] beg him to recall his orders to that effect; and that we shall feel constrained, in case he feels he cannot do so, to instruct our naval officers there to prevent any interference with our commerce to and from the port. He should be told, at the same time, that we are doing this in the interest of peace and amity between the two countries and with no wish or intention to interfere with her internal affairs, from which we shall carefully keep our hands off. I hope that your thinking has led you to a similar conclusion.
Faithfully Yours,