812.00Sonora/53: Telegram

The Ambassador in Mexico ( Morrow ) to the Secretary of State

[Paraphrase]

54. My 50, March 4, 5 p.m. With respect to the four suggestions of the Mexican Government, as reported, my comment is as follows:

(1) It is my understanding that it would be in accordance with our past [apparent omission] that the Government of Mexico can make purchases of war material in the United States and that a strict embargo will be imposed upon war material destined for the rebel forces. The Government of Mexico feels that the rebel forces in the State of Sonora will make every effort to evade the embargo of the United States. The Department of State, with the cooperation of other interested Departments of our Government, will know best how to make this embargo effective.

2. When Estrada, the Acting Minister for Foreign Affairs, suggested to me this morning that all traffic to those ports under rebel control be closed, I asked him if there was precedent for such a measure. Estrada answered that there were many precedents, and he suggested that since the Government of Mexico had closed these ports of entry, no consular invoices would be issued by Mexican consular officers in the United States for entry through the closed ports. This seems to ignore the main question that the rebels would without doubt admit such goods as they desired without any consular invoices, unless for various reasons the Government of the United States put into force what would amount to a complete economic embargo upon trade with territory in rebel possession. The authorities of the Mexican Government are not interested in a food blockade because there are and will be ample food supplies within territory under rebel control. The authorities are chiefly interested in cutting off financial revenues that would accrue to the forces in rebellion through control of custom houses at the outset. The Department will know whether, in view of its general position on such question, it can comply with the request of the Government of Mexico.

It has not been possible for me to make a study of the questions of international law involved but I shall seek an opportunity tomorrow to obtain from Estrada the precedents upon which he relies. You will be interested in this connection in referring to the decision of the General Claims Commission in the Oriental Navigation Company case, decided October 23 [3], 1928.3

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I submit the request as one that appears to be of great importance to the Government of Mexico especially on account of its moral effect upon other states along the international border that may possibly join the rebel forces. By a stiff enforcement of the embargo upon munitions very liberally defined this same moral effect might be secured.

(3) The Acting Minister for Foreign Affairs stated today to the American Military Attaché that the Government of Mexico may want to purchase from the Government of the United States 10,000 rifles—5,000 for infantry and 5,000 for cavalry. The Government of Mexico prefers seven millimeter caliber rifles. In the event that these are not available then the Government of Mexico would require two million rounds of suitable ammunition in addition to the 10,000 rifles. The Acting Minister for Foreign Affairs desires to know upon what conditions and terms the rifles can be obtained. It is my understanding that the sale of such rifles by our Government direct to the Government of Mexico would be in accordance with the precedent established during the De la Huerta rebellion.4

(4) Friendly action made public on one or more of the three foregoing points would probably answer the purpose designed to be covered by point 4 while the Government of Mexico feels strongly that a friendly announcement coming from the new administration might have a strong deterrent effect upon some leaders who had not yet taken sides in the revolutionary movement. Prompt action would obviously have a greater effect than later action as the lines are still forming.

Morrow
  1. See Opinions of Commissioners Under the Convention Concluded September 8, 1923, as Extended by the Convention Signed August 16, 1927, Between the United States and Mexico, September 26, 1928, to May 11, 1929 (Washington, Government Printing Office, 1929), p. 23.
  2. See telegram of January 16, 1924, to the Consul at Vera Cruz, Foreign Relations, 1924, vol. ii, p. 430.