File No. 711.12/102
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Mexico ( Fletcher )
1196. Department has read with great interest your strictly confidential despatch No. 11231 and the attached quotations from Mexican newspapers respecting the President’s speech. The publication of the petroleum note of April 2 immediately after the publication of the speech was apparently a desperate effort on the part of German sympathizers in the Government to discredit President Wilson’s friendly assurances. The Department concluded that it would be best, for the present at least, not to issue any statement explaining that the note and the speech were entirely consistent in that the note simply asked from Mexico the same kind of justice the President promised Mexico in his speech.
It is clear that the good effect produced in Mexico and in South America generally by the President’s speech will soon disappear unless some concrete and tangible means are found to drive home to [Page 587] the Mexican people a settled conviction that the President is determined to translate into action his expressions of friendship. Consideration of convenience must be swept aside and a generous liberal attitude must be adopted by the United States toward the Mexican people so that it cannot be said that our assurances of friendship are mere idle words which when put to the test fall to nothing.
Your views as to the most practicable way of effecting this result are desired by the Department. The Department is prepared to authorize you to go even further than you have already gone in offering to resume the negotiations looking to the more free exportation of commodities from this country to Mexico in spite of the fact that these negotiations were heretofore terminated in a most abrupt manner by President Carranza.1 Appreciating the pride of the average Mexican official, the German influence affecting certain of these officials and the anti-American feeling prevalent among certain classes of Mexicans, the Department is ready, in order to negative these adverse influences, to go more than half way in taking steps to cause a resumption of normal commercial intercourse between the two countries and to stimulate the shipment to Mexico of commodities needed there and also required in this country. In other words, the Department is prepared to ask the appropriate authorities here to make sacrifices so as to supply Mexico more adequately with certain commodities. Having tried in every other way to prove to the Mexican people that the United States is their friend, and having met with indifferent success, the Department is ready to adopt the policy above outlined should you so advise. You are requested to report at once by wire your advice in respect to the following:
- (1)
- The advisability of your seeking an interview with President Carranza and orally conveying to him the desire of the Government of the United States to give concrete expression to the friendly sentiments expressed in the President’s speech, and to settle once and for all the many commercial, financial, and other questions now pending between the two countries, pointing out to him that the United States earnestly desires the political integrity and commercial prosperity of its neighbor and would gladly cooperate in supplying her with her needs in exchange for such of her products as she did not herself imperatively need. If you thought it wise you could add that this Government would be glad to facilitate a loan by private American interests to the Mexican Government on terms mutually agreeable.
- (2)
- The sending to Mexico City of representatives of this Government to meet with Mexican officials in a conference for the purpose of adjusting all pending questions between the two Governments. This conference would, of course, be opened by President Carranza and presided over by a man designated by him. It would be Department’s purpose to have you head the American delegation.
- (3)
- The adoption by this Government without any preliminary negotiations, simply by an announcement, of a most liberal [Page 588] embargo policy, trusting in this way by our generosity to win the favor of the bulk of the Mexican people.
The Department is in no way committed to any of these suggestions. One thing only is clear. In view of the President’s speech some material evidence of our friendship and disinterestedness should at once be given the Mexican people. Your views as to the most appropriate kind of action are earnestly desired.
The Department has had full conference with Garfield and is not considering any modification of its petroleum note of April 2.