125.61383 J 41/55: Telegram
The Chargé in Mexico (Summerlin) to the Acting Secretary of State
[Received 8:50 p.m.]
52. Department’s telegram 42, February 10, 6 p.m. and my 41, February 12, 4 p.m.82 Following is translation of Foreign Office note dated 20th instant and received this morning.
“I have the honor to refer to your courteous note number 1698 of the 12th instant in which you inform me that you have received instructions from your Government to request an explanation of the statements of the Attorney General of the State of Puebla, Mr. Mitchell, which the press published on the 9th instant relative to the Embassy, under your worthy charge, having attempted to deceive the Mexican authorities.
In reply, permit me to declare that the office which Mr. Mitchell occupies in the State of Puebla is not of sufficient importance to admit of his words being considered authoritative to reflect the opinions of the Government of the Republic. Very recently a person whose word is truly authoritative because of political significance (I refer to Senator Albert B. Fall) permitted himself in the United States to impute to the Mexican Embassy in Washington and to the consul general in New York the charge that both dependencies of this Government are making radical socialistic propaganda, and nevertheless the Embassy as well as the consul did nothing more than publicly deny the charge made against them and the incident did not give rise to diplomatic representations. In the opinion of the Mexican Government the good relations between neighboring countries should not be affected by the free statement of a public official’s personal ideas which do not officially represent the opinion of his Government. [Page 258] Nevertheless, as an indication of the solicitude with which the Mexican Government views the incident under consideration permit me to inform you that there would be no objection to publishing your note to which I reply as well as this answering note.”
- Latter not printed.↩