File No. 812.512/1041a
The Secretary of State to Special Agent Silliman
Washington, February 21, 1916, 6 p.m.
Mining decrees. All statements made on subjects by de facto Government are unsatisfactory and unresponsive to Department’s representations. In view of the manifest friendliness of this Government for the Mexican people, it confidently expects that the de facto Government will see the justice in the request of this Government and will annul the mining decrees or at least so modify them as to give some definite evidence of the existence of a reciprocal sentiment on the part of the de facto Government towards this Government, and that those decrees which, if allowed to stand will result in the practical confiscation of much American property, will be made to conform, for the taxes due on March 1, to the Mexican constitution and laws emanating therefrom, and that collections of taxes which have already been made by reason of the decrees complained of, shall be regarded only as deposits, subject to liquidation and adjustment when more nearly normal conditions shall prevail in Mexico. You will hand copies of this telegram and of the Department’s telegrams of June 30 and December 28 to General Carranza and to Mr. Cabrera.