File No. 763.72119/513
The Ambassador in Mexico ( Fletcher) to the Secretary of State
[Received March 18, 4.10 a.m.]
26. Minister for Foreign Affairs called me this afternoon to the Foreign Office and asked me to telegraph confidentially to the Department that Mr. Carranza, in view of the position taken by our Government with respect to the Mexican note,1 believed that joint [Page 242] action on the part of neutrals without the cooperation of the United States would be fruitless but would like, nevertheless, to place the good offices of his Government at the service of the United States if they could be utilized in the restoration of diplomatic relations with Germany or in any other way which would tend to prevent hostilities between Germany and the United States. He said that Mr. Carranza wished to make this offer confidentially and purely unofficially. Minister for Foreign Affairs further said that this was being done entirely without the knowledge of the German Minister. He said that Mexico had a deep national interest in the maintenance of peace between Germany and the United States and stood ready to do anything possible to that end. He said that he felt sure the United States Government would understand that this offer was being made not to help Germany but sincerely and with the highest motives and in the interest of American peace, and that Mexico would be willing to act alone or in conjunction with any other government similarly inspired, but that no other government had been consulted or advised as to this step.