File No. 812.00/23446. 23452g.
The Secretary of State to the Special Commissioners.
Washington, May 29, 1914.
The President directs me to say:
“In reply to your despatch of the 28th, we call attention to the letter25 sent today by special messenger to the Mediators by the authority of Carranza asking that the Constitutionalists be admitted to representation in the conference. Time will be gained by waiting to arrange this and all the processes of the mediation will be facilitated by the admission of representatives of Carranza. We assume that they will of course be admitted.
“In the meantime, we suggest that the appointment of a foreign minister by Huerta to succeed him might raise questions very embarrassing to this Government as it would also certainly meet with strong objection from the Constitutionalists. It is doubtful whether it would be wise for this Government to recognize the legal right of Huerta in this or any other detail or particular of the plan to be agreed upon. Another process would answer the same purpose. Huerta and his present foreign minister could resign by agreement and Lascurain could succeed him as if by right, he having last year foregone the succession under duress when Madero was displaced, and it could be agreed upon and stipulated that Lascurain should then appoint as minister of foreign affairs and immediately give way to a person agreed upon between this Government and the Mediators who should then be supported as constitutional president ad interim, administer the government and formulate and promulgate the reforms pending the election.
“The more we consider this difficult matter the more clear the difficulty grows of finding men for a board or commission among whom the intimate relations of mutual confidence and cheerful cooperation could be successfully established which will be necessary for their [Page 513] task. But it might be wise to associate with the provisional president a board of three persons to be agreed upon who would have charge and superintendence of the elections but not be permitted to share the powers of the presidency. You will see that the perplexities of the situation have turned our thoughts back to the idea of the Mediators that there should be a single provisional president and to our preference for a provisional government disconnected from both the Huerta régime and the previous régime.
“We agree with you that the most practical course is to select persons and not attempt to define the factions they represent or even go on the theory that they do represent factions. We will give our immediate and careful attention to the discussion of names and hope that the Mediators will be patient with apparent delay and great deliberation in this matter, perhaps the most critical of all.
“It should be agreed and stipulated that neither the provisional president nor any member of the provisional government should be a candidate at the elections.
“As we said in our last, it seems to us absolutely essential that the provisional government should be explicitly pledged and bound to undertake the reforms without which no settlement can last six months.
“The question of our evacuation should be left to be discussed and agreed upon between this Government and the government to be created at Mexico City, whether the provisional government, which might need our support and be conscious that it needed it, or the regularly constituted government which would succeed it after the elections.”
Please insist most earnestly to Mediators that a peaceful settlement is the supreme object of our efforts and that no formalities or technicalities should be permitted to interfere. We are not dealing with ideal conditions but with conditions as they are and no progress can be made toward a peaceful settlement of the Mexican situation without considering the opinions and wishes of the Constitutionalists. If they are not there to speak for themselves the burden of conferring with them is thrown upon us with consequent delay in addition to the feeling which refusal of representation is sure to arouse.
You will therefore urge representation of Constitutionalists even though they insist upon conditions which may seem unreasonable. When they become acquainted with the Mediators and see with what patriotism, patience and unselfishness they are working they will catch the spirit and grow more trustful and accommodating.
Assure the Mediators of the President’s profound appreciation of their labors and say that he advises them freely because of his desire to render them every possible assistance.
- Inclosure 8 in the Commissioners’ despatch No. 8 of May 31.↩