711.12/318
Memorandum by the Under Secretary of State (Davis)
[Washington,] September 23, 1920.
Memorandum of Conversation with Señor Iglesias Calderón, Mexican Representative.
Señor Iglesias Calderón informed me that he had asked for an interview to make the following statements:
- First. That he had not sent the communication to Mexico published in some of the papers which stated that he had had an interview [Page 184] with Secretary Colby; that this must be some mistake of the Foreign Office in Mexico; and that he would give out an announcement to the press rectifying the error. He regretted this incident very much, and asked me to tell the Secretary how much he regretted the mistake.
- Second: Although the President had just asked him if he would accept the post of Minister of Foreign Affairs, he had declined this, thinking it his duty to return to Mexico to represent his constituents who had recently elected him as Senator from the Federal District. He regretted leaving the United States but as he came here primarily to deliver to President Wilson a personal letter from President de la Huerta, and for a general interchange of views for the purpose of bringing about a better understanding, he felt that he should return to Mexico within a short time to fulfill his duties as Senator-elect. He stated he regretted very much to return to Mexico without being able to present to President Wilson this letter. I informed him that I feared that the presentation of the letter might create an erroneous impression and be construed as a resumption of official relations between the two governments, and I inquired the purport of the letter. He said it was merely a letter from President de la Huerta informing President Wilson of his election as President of Mexico by the Mexican Congress, and of his desire to cooperate in a most friendly way with the United States. He offered to show me the letter informally, and expressed the hope that if the President could not receive him in order to accept the letter, he would like very much to present the letter to me as the President’s representative. I agreed to let him know later if either could be done.
- Third: He then informed me that he had received a personal telegram from President de la Huerta, requesting him to inform me that the Mexican Government is most desirous of clearing up every misunderstanding with the Government of the United States, and of making every possible effort to make such rectifications and compliances as would remove the obstacles between [to?] a resumption of official relations between the two Governments; and that in order that we might obtain a clearer understanding of the problems with which Mexico is confronted and of the various questions involved, he hoped very much that President Wilson would send a personal representative to Mexico to take up such questions directly with the Mexican Government. I told him that I could not give him any answer regarding this, but would inform the President.
N[orman] H. D[avts]