812.00/19710½
The Secretary of State to President Wilson
My Dear Mr. President: I have your letter of the 26th enclosing one to Secretary Baker, which I had already seen.
[Page 565]Yesterday afternoon I received a telegram from Secretary Lane, a copy of which I understand has been mailed to you.41 I at once showed it to Baker and we agreed that publicity would have the double effect of deterring the plotters from pursuing their purpose and of preventing hostile sentiment to you politically in case an attempt was made to carry out the plan. After dictating a statement for the press Baker left for West Virginia. I modified the statement to a certain extent and it was then given out.
In the evening I found that the opposition papers were intending to declare that the statement was made for political purposes and, in the absence of Baker, I felt it necessary to give out the comment to the Associated Press, which was printed this morning, (a copy is enclosed41).
This morning Secretary Baker and I conferred on the subject and agreed to emphasize the fact that it was Mexican refugees in this country whom we suspected, that they were naturally hostile to the present administration and desired your defeat and would go any length to accomplish that end, and that it was unthinkable that any American could be so unpatriotic and heartless as to participate in a plot for political purposes, which if carried out would result in the loss of American lives.
This in brief is the situation and I am thoroughly convinced that it was the wise thing to do.
Faithfully yours,