703.94 Commission/850: Telegram
The Chargé in Mexico (Lane) to the Secretary of State
[Received 3:25 p.m.]
36. Department’s 21, 11 a.m.35 Following is translation of the statement issued by Minister of Foreign Affairs Puig on February 24th as it appeared in the press of February 25th:
[“]Under date of January 9th last cable instructions were issued to our representative in Geneva before the Council of the League of Nations to make a statement, when he considered it opportune, defining the attitude of Mexico in accordance with the following points:
- 1.
- Mexico cannot approve that Japan, weakening the ideals of international justice and in opposition to the letter and the spirit of the League Covenant, the Briand-Kellogg Treaty, [and the Nine-Power Treaty,] should not resort to peaceful means to settle the China conflict.
- 2.
- Mexico appreciates the high importance of the material interests of Japan and China and its right to secure protection for those interests. Consequently from a general point of view the suggestions of the Lytton Report appear acceptable to Mexico, it being considered, however, that those suggestions perhaps indicate excessive incapacity on the part of the Chinese Government to offer proper guarantees to foreigners and capital.
- 3.
- Mexico cannot approve of the violation of Chinese sovereignty [Page 213] implied in the protection and the premature recognition of [by] Japan of the Manchurian state.
- 4.
- Mexico believes that international cooperation in the case of China should be effected only to the degree consented to by that country.
- 5.
- Mexico, while not representing material interests in China (but) with a clear vision of the future, cannot ignore developments in the Far East, because of its littoral position on the Pacific.
- 6.
- Only aspirations towards international peace and justice lead Mexico to assume the attitude indicated, which should in no wise be interpreted as an unfriendly act towards Japan, with which country the Government and the people of Mexico have maintained unalterable friendship.
Our representative received supplementary instructions to withhold the presentation of these points of view so long as there was hope that the plan of conciliation in preparation by the League of Nations would meet with success, in order not to obstruct attempts at conciliation by an attitude which might be considered too radical on the part of Mexico; but, with conciliation a failure, the communication entrusted to the representative of Mexico, Mr. Pani, was delivered to the Secretary General of the League of Nations on the 9th instant (Signed) Puig.”
- Not printed.↩