File No. 312.11/1354b.
[Inclosure.]
[Untitled]
Wednesday,
September 4, 1912.
It had been intimated to Mr. Calero, the Mexican Ambassador, that the
President would probably desire to see him to-day. Mr. Calero, it
appears, also wished to see the President, to transmit from
President Madero a few words of appreciation of the President’s
policy toward Mexico as indicated particularly in his letter of
acceptance of the Republican nomination.
The President received Mr. Calero quite informally, the Acting
Secretary of State being present. Mr. Calero delivered his message
briefly and at the first pause the President said just a word of
acknowledgment and forthwith spoke very earnestly and energetically,
pointing out, first, how exceedingly patient and friendly and
helpful this Government had been to the Madero administration. The
President referred to the new law about the exportation of arms and
ammunition, emphasizing its application as a most signal act and as
one of the most vital and essential importance to the very existence
of the Madero administration. The President went on to say that in
return for all this we had a right to expect a more hearty
consideration for all American interests in Mexico.
The President referred to the Alamo case, where Federal troops were
responsible for a murder, and to the great number of killings of
American citizens, in every case of which there had been nought but
a very superficial investigation and no satisfactory action.
Mr. Calero attempted to interpose some arguments of defense by
doubting whether there were specific cases of negligence on the part
of Mexico. The President immediately rejoined that we were sending a
long note to be presented by our Ambassador, which recounted a very
great number of such instances. The President also said that those
were matters of fact simply and that our information, both from the
Embassy and from all the consuls, was unsatisfactory and
discouraging.
The President spoke solemnly of his duty to the American people and
of his responsibility for the policy of the United States and also
of the duty of the Madero administration to vindicate his policy by
a satisfactory attitude. The President went so far as to say that,
however patient he might be and however strong was his friendship
for the Madero administration, if things went on from bad to worse
there would be no course open to him in the discharge of his duties
but to summon Congress and to ask them to consider how the situation
should be dealt with.
Mr. Calero was evidently a good deal worried by the seriousness of
the President’s tone from the very beginning. He spoke energetically
about the bad feeling caused by Senator Fall’s speech and by the
Magdalena Bay legislation. The President disavowed any sympathy for
either and remarked that, after all, it was not the Senate but the
Executive which conducted our foreign relations. I remarked that,
anyhow, that had nothing to do with the subject and said, that the
Ambassador doubtless understood that as the President had said to me
this morning, aside from specific instances there were the three
facts, that murderers went unpunished, second, that there was much
evidence of the hostile attitude toward American interests
generally, this attitude even extending into the most surprising
quarters, and, third, that we were unable to see that the general
action of the Madero administration was really sufficiently
energetic and zealous.
Mr. Calero mentioned the Tlahualilo case as if perhaps it was the
crux of the note. I said that it was not, although it was mentioned
among other instances, and thus again the divergence of the
discussion into contentious details and questions of fact was
avoided.
The President combined extreme earnestness with a broad and kindly
tone, both toward the Madero Government and the Ambassador himself,
and the Ambassador seemed to appreciate this. He spoke of Calero’s
influence at home and of his hope that he, when he returned to
Mexico, would be able to do a great deal of good. The President
remarked that because he was so exceedingly patient he feared people
in Mexico thought that it was not necessary to heed the
representations of this Government and that he, the President,
desired it to be understood that this was by no means so.
Mr. Calero said with much energy that when he got back he was going
to stir up the Mexican Government and make a campaign for better
understanding. The Ambassador spoke with quite unusual frankness as
apology for conditions in Mexico, even speaking rather disparagingly
of their Indian population, their inheritance of Spanish and Indian
traits, their unfitness for democratic institutions, and the
consequent enormously difficult problems they had to face.
