711.12/548: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Chargé in Mexico (Schoenfeld)
133. The following is for your information and guidance: The Secretary’s statement will be allowed to stand. The Department will make no supplementary comment for publication. It does not consider making a retort to the reply of President Calles.
When Ambassador Téllez called at the Department this morning it was pointed out to him that the Secretary’s statement should tend to augment the position of President Calles. It was also stated that although President Calles’ interpretation of the Secretary’s statement and his retort were matters of surprise and regret to the Department, nevertheless, the Secretary would not recede from his position. Ambassador Téllez expressed his belief that the Secretary’s statement need not be regarded as antagonistic to President Calles personally, and he said he would inform his Government in that sense.
[Page 521]The attention of the Ambassador was invited in a cursory way to the large number of vexatious and longstanding cases still awaiting satisfactory disposition, and to other features of the Mexican situation, and the impression was conveyed to him that the attitude of this Government towards his Government was no different from the one which we would assume toward any Government which might treat American interests with contumely. It was intended that the conversation should contain the implication that unless the Government of Mexico saw to it that a fair deal was given to Americans and American interests it could hardly expect continued encouragement by our Government and without a logical quid pro quo of satisfactory treatment it could not reasonably look for countenance and support.
The Department hopes that after the initial excitement has subsided and that after the rallying of dissenting groups around President Calles, in view of the fancied threat of foreign interference, has ceased, the point of the statement of June 12 will make an impression, and that the better and more conservative elements of the Government will endeavor to support President Calles in carrying out a program which was so auspiciously inaugurated but which unfortunately has been deviated from.