812.00/15286½
President Wilson to the Secretary of State ad interim
My Dear Mr. Secretary: This telegram has my approval.7 Silliman, however, is not the best channel through which to make an impression. . . .
[Page 536]I understand that Judge Douglas9 is going to start for Vera Cruz on Monday. Would it not be well to have a talk with him (not at your office, but at your house and as privately, as much away from the newspapers, as possible) and let him go down with a full understanding of our position, namely that Carranza must meet every honest advance half way if he expects to win our confidence, and that he must win our confidence, at least in some degree, if he hopes for ultimate recognition.
There is another matter which it might be well to add to the despatch to Silliman today and in your talk with D., namely the very bad impression that is being made by the exportation of food from Vera Cruz at the very time we are sending food in to the starving. It ought to be stopped at once.
Cordially Yours,
- Telegram to Special Agent Silliman, Foreign Relations, 1915, p. 715.↩
- Judge Charles A. Douglas, legal adviser to General Carranza’s representatives in Washington.↩