812.113/3691½
The Secretary of State to President Wilson
My Dear Mr. President: I enclose a report, dated yesterday, from Mr. Canova,19 in response to an oral request for information in regard to the shipment of arms and ammunition to Mexico.
I think you will find the facts of extreme interest. I, myself, had no idea that any such quantity of war munitions was going to the different Mexican factions.
It has suggested itself to me that it might be good policy at the present time to place a general embargo on arms and ammunition exported to Mexico, on the theory that after the sending of the appeal to the leaders, which was adopted in the recent conference, and until this peaceful method of settling their differences had been tried, an armistice between the warring factions could be enforced by such an embargo. I am not at all convinced that this would be a wise course, but I think it worthy of consideration. If the situation on the border becomes more critical it would be very unfortunate to allow arms and ammunition to go to any of the factions in control of the border towns, because they would be used against our own forces in case of a clash.
Faithfully yours,
- Not printed.↩