File No. 817.51/976
The Acting Secretary of State to Minister Jefferson.
Washington, July 18, 1917, 7 p.m.
Your telegram July 16, 11 a.m. The Department is very desirous that the plan embodied in the Department’s cable of June 21, 5 p.m. be promptly adopted and a contract actually signed, and in order to prevent delay the Department is urging upon the bankers and urges upon the Government of Nicaragua that controversial matters not absolutely essential to the plan beheld open and not permitted to delay the inauguration of the plan. For this reason, Department in its telegram of July 12, 1917, recommends that matter of interest on Emery claim and details of imposition of surtax on imports be eliminated from the formal contract to be executed.
The contract will of course, as indicated by the plan of June 21, 5 p.m. have to refer to the Emery claim in the paragraphs dealing with the application of custom revenues and the budget. Yet such reference may be in general terms as “amounts payable on account of so much of Emery claim as shall not be otherwise provided for”.