File No. 812.00/11556.
Chargé O’Shaughnessy to the Secretary of State.
Mexico City, April 18, 1914, 8 p.m.
865. I became cognizant of the contents of your 757, April 18, 1 p.m., at 5:45 p.m. today and after having had a free but strong translation made thereof I endeavored to find General Huerta but was unable to do so; but at 7:25 I found the Minister for Foreign Affairs at the council of notables and placed in his hands the translation referred to, up to the phrase: “If on the contrary he adheres to the position he has taken, etc.,” and begged him to forthwith bring this to the attention of General Huerta, which he promised to do. He asked me, if General Huerta acceded to our demands, whether I would sign a protocol with him stating that upon the salute being rendered by the Mexican battery it would be returned according to international usage by the American warship, and I told him that I was prepared to sign such a document. In the event of this not being agreeable to the President please inform me. I told the Minister for Foreign Affairs that from my knowledge of the manner in which our war with Spain had been initiated I was of the opinion that armed intervention in Mexico to uphold the prestige and honor of the United States would be forced upon the present Administration by public acclamation.