812.00/25080
The Secretary of State to the Chairman of the Pan-American Federation of Labor (Gompers)
Sir: I have received your letter of July 7th64 in which you quote a telegram received from Mr. Davison, Secretary of the International Association of Machinists, and Mr. John Kelly, who are now in Orizaba, Mexico, and request that a statement be made that the sending of ships to Mexican waters is “not with the object of interfering with the struggle of the workers in Tampico.”
Permit me to say in reply, that the presence of the ships has nothing whatever to do with labor unions to which Mr. Davison refers in his telegram or with disputes between employers and employees, but is simply a precautionary measure for the purpose of assuring adequate protection to the lives and property of American citizens. It is hoped, of course, that this protection will be accorded by the local authorities.
I am [etc.]
- Not printed.↩