File No. 812.00/8241.
The American Chargé d’Affaires to the Secretary of State.
Mexico, August 5, 1913—9 p.m.
387. Department’s August 4, 9 p.m. The afternoon papers take no notice of the Department’s statement. The morning papers print garbled versions of it. They made no special impression. As I assume that the Department desires this statement published in Mexico, I have given copies to the principal papers, which will probably print it tomorrow morning. The Minister for Foreign Affairs told me today that he had no opinion to express as to the mission of Mr. Lind. I am surprised that his coming has not excited more comment.
Several correspondents of American papers have received telegrams from their home offices stating that Mr. Lind is coming to suggest peace terms and also to insist on the resignation of General Huerta as a sine qua non. I am informed that tomorrow’s papers will have a statement to this effect. I therefore request the Department immediately to give me authority to deny the part of the statement referring to the resignation of Huerta, as one of the correspondents informs me that the Governor of the Federal District told him that if it is true he does not see how he could prevent the crowd from mobbing Mr. Lind at the station; I fear that such notices in the press would both thwart Mr. Lind’s mission and damage Americans in certain parts of Mexico.