810.20 Defense/287
The Ambassador in Mexico (Daniels) to the Secretary of State
[Received October 23.]
Sir: I have the honor to transmit herewith the Spanish text of a news article published in Excelsior of today’s date. The article states that the Minister of National Defense, General Augustin Castro, declared yesterday that, in the event of a foreign war, Mexico would use all its resources not only in defense of its own country but also to [Page 143] guarantee the “collective defense of the Continent”. In this article he officially denied reports that there was an agreement with the United States for the establishment of air and naval bases in Mexico for use by the American army. General Castro is stated to have added that as far as he knew, nothing whatever had been mentioned between the two governments regarding these bases; he added, however, that the Mexican Government was studying the possibility of establishing such military bases in strategic points, but that this was on the initiative and for the use of the army of Mexico. It is said that the Minister of National Defense also officially declared that the so-called rebel movement was but the activities of small groups of armed men, and since these had surrendered the country is now entirely calm.
Respectfully yours,