Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, With the Address of the President to Congress December 4, 1917

File No. 837.00/1347a

The Secretary of State to the Secretary of War

Department of State,
Washington, May 10, 1917.

Sir: I have the honor to inform you that this Department has been advised, through the American Consuls at Guantanamo and Santiago de Cuba, through American residents in Oriente Province, and by persons who have returned from that province within the past two weeks, that conditions are very unsatisfactory and that American properties, including mines and large sugar estates, have been threatened by revolutionists or by groups of marauding bandits.

It is felt that a continuance of these conditions might prove a serious menace to the safety of this country, and that should more sugar cane be destroyed and the shipment of the product of the mines be interfered with, a serious economic situation might develop in this country.

The National Council of Defense has stated to this Department that it considers that the production of sugar in Cuba is of the utmost importance to the United States and to the Allied Powers. It is believed that every possible step should be taken to safeguard the production of this commodity.

I therefore have the honor to request that you will be so good as to inform me whether it will be possible to despatch to Cuba in the near future, an adequate force from the United States Army to aid the Government of Cuba in the protection of the sugar properties and in restoring the Province of Oriente to peaceful conditions.

I have [etc.]

Robert Lansing