File No. 612.119/708a

The Secretary of State to the Chargé in Mexico ( Summerlin )

[Telegram]

676. Your No. 652, December 28, 3 p.m. You should make a statement to the press to the effect that when Mr. Cabrera and the Mexican Ambassador appeared at the State Department on December 8 they were informed that the Department was ready immediately to begin negotiations; that it subsequently transpired that Mr. Cabrera had left the United States for the Argentine Republic without mentioning the matter of the negotiations again to the Department. The American Ambassador in Mexico City was called to Washington to assist in reaching an expeditious and satisfactory arrangement between the two countries and informed the Mexican Ambassador on the 20th of December that the United States Government was ready to begin negotiations at once. He was informed by Ambassador Bonillas that he had received no instructions on the [Page 602] subject, but that he would telegraph to President Carranza for such instructions. Up to the present the Department has received no intimation from the Mexican Embassy as to when negotiations may be commenced.

Lansing