File No. 837.51/269
The Assistant Secretary of the Treasury ( Crosby ) to the Secretary of State
My Dear Mr. Secretary: The Act of Congress approved April 24, 1917, provides that loans made under its authority by the Secretary of the Treasury shall be to “governments engaged in war, etc.” In connection with this provision and with the application of the Cuban Government for a loan, I have the honor to request an expression of your view as to whether a mere declaration of war by the Cuban Government is in fact such an act as will permit the Secretary of the Treasury to assume that that Government is engaged in war.
Cordially yours,