File No. 812.113/4138a
The Secretary of State to the Secretary of the Treasury
Washington , May 9, 1916 .
Sir: Referring to previous correspondence relative to the exportation of arms and ammunition from this country to Mexico, I have the honor to request that, for the present, collectors of customs [Page 791] on the Mexican border and at seacoast points be instructed to release shipments of munitions of war to Mexico only after your Department shall have received official notice from the Department of State, or from the President, to permit the exportation.
I may add, for your information, that pending the restoration of more nearly normal conditions in Mexico, it is my intention to scrutinize more closely all shipments of munitions of war destined to points in that country, and with that end in view, officials of the Department of State and the War Department will confer at frequent intervals on the advisability of permitting explosives to proceed to Mexico. Accordingly, future permits will be prepared by the Department of State only after conference with the War Department.
I have [etc.]