File No. 812.113/8561
The Mexican Ambassador to the Secretary of State
Washington, July 7, 1917.
Excellency: I have the honor to inform your excellency that my Government has instructed me to deliver to your excellency the following note:
Mr. Secretary: I have the honor to apprize your excellency that there are now detained at the frontier, by order of the American authorities the following munitions: 2,000,000 seven-millimeter cartridges and 133,000 30 x 30 cartridges at Laredo; 450,000 30 x 30 cartridges at Eagle Pass, and 150,000 30 x 30 cartridges at El Paso.
As this ammunition was bought by the Government of Mexico prior to the prohibition to export arms and ammunition from the United States of America ordered by the Government of that Republic, the Citizen President of the United Mexican States asks, through your excellency’s worthy medium, the President of the [Page 1083] United States of America, to be pleased to direct whom it may concern to let the above-described ammunition be forwarded to the Mexican Government on the ground that they were detained on the strength of an order which was not in effect at the time of the purchase.
Hoping that the Government of the United States guided by the highest principles of justice and the wish not to injure the rights of Mexico, will be pleased to accede to the desires of the Mexican Government, I take pleasure in renewing to your excellency the assurances of my highest and most distinguished consideration.
E. Garza Pérez,
Undersecretary of State for Foreign
Relations
I have the honor to bring the contents of the foregoing note to your excellency’s knowledge with the hope that in the desire to affirm the good friendship that exists between the two countries, my Government’s wishes will be attended to, and thanking your excellency in advance therefor, I renew [etc.]