837.00/3818
Memorandum by the Secretary of State
The French Ambassador41 called and made inquiry about conditions in Cuba and stated he had just been informed that a French national had been killed by disorderly forces at Santiago. I expressed [Page 402] deep regret at this news and described fully to him the many precautionary steps the United States Government had taken, from the very hour that information reached Washington of the present revolution, to allay the lawless movements and to encourage the law-abiding forces of Cuba to create at the earliest possible moment a stable government that could maintain law and order. The Ambassador seemed pleased at the idea that our government had not overlooked a single precautionary step that might be helpful. I stated to him that I had talked to Ambassador Welles over the telephone an hour ago and he informed me at the time that conditions were grave in Santiago, although they had been quiet early in the morning. I added that he had not given me any information of the killing of the Frenchman or of any other person.
I assured the Ambassador that our government would continue to take every possible precautionary step in the interest of law and order in Cuba and that we would place at his disposal any and all information we might receive from there.
- André de Laboulaye.↩