812.00/15716½
The Secretary of State to President Wilson
My Dear Mr. President: I received your telegram of the 6th in regard to the effect of Villa’s arbitrary actions upon the work of the conference. The importance of it seems to be that as the preliminary [Page 547] step was to secure a compromise between factions, it would very much embarrass that plan if Villa should prove himself to be unworthy of consideration by his continued acts of aggression against foreigners.
Fortunately, however, the situation is much clearer this morning. A despatch from Carothers14 states that Villa will remain at El Paso until he has had an interview with General Scott and that the meeting of miners, which he had summoned at Chihuahua, would be postponed until after such interview. Secretary Houston has also consented to the establishment under military decree of cattle inspection upon the border. This will relieve, to a considerable measure, I believe, Villa’s desperate financial situation which has induced his arbitrary conduct.
Faithfully yours,
- Not printed.↩