File No. 612.1123/63a.
The Secretary of State to Special Agent Silliman .
Washington , March 8, 1915 .
Binding-twine situation very critical. Unless sisal can be exported from Progreso in very short time, there will be shortage of binding-twine for harvest in this country and in countries for which we manufacture. Please present the matter most urgently to Carranza, securing Judge Douglas’s assistance. See if some arrangement cannot be made whereby sisal can be exported and the price of same held in trust to be subjected to same action as could be taken in regard to the sisal itself. If Carranza is afraid that ships entering Progreso for sisal would carry food, this, too, might be arranged with American dealers who purchase sisal. Talk over situation fully with Carranza and secure agreement upon some plan whereby sisal can be exported at once. It is impossible to overestimate the urgency of the matter. If importation of sisal cannot be secured, price of binding twine will rise because of scarcity and a great and unnecessary burden will be imposed upon the entire farming section.