File No. 837.00/1356a
[Untitled]
Washington, May 15, 1917, 4 p.m.
You are directed to hand the Cuban Government a copy of the following statement and say that you are authorized to make it public. A copy of this statement has been sent to the commanders of the American naval forces in Cuban waters, by navy radio, and you will communicate it to the American Consul at Santiago and to the other American Consuls and Consular Agents in Cuba and instruct them to make it public.
The declaration of war against the Imperial German Government, by the Government of Cuba, marking the entrance of Cuba, side by side with the United States of America into the conflict which is now being waged for the highest rights of humanity and in defense of principles of international law, has been received by the Government of the United States with feelings of deep appreciation and friendly pride.
Now that the Cuban and American peoples are even more closely bound together by lasting ties of common interest, the Government of the United States feels that it is incumbent upon it again to reiterate its many published statements concerning its attitude toward those Cubans who are under arms against the Constitutional Government and to add in emphatic terms that it considers that the time has now arrived when all internal political questions must be set aside in the face of the grave international danger.
In calling this to the attention of the people of Cuba, it is felt necessary to state that in the present war, in order to insure victory, Cuba, as well as the United States, has two great obligations, one military and the other economic. Therefore, as the Allied Powers and the United States must depend to a large extent upon the sugar production of Cuba, all disturbances which interfere with this production must be considered as hostile acts, and the United States Government is forced to issue this warning that unless all those under arms against the Government of Cuba return immediately to there allegiance it may become necessary for the United States to regard them as its enemies and to deal with them accordingly.