File No. 763.72/3970
The Cuban Minister ( Céspedes) to the Secretary of State
[A copy of the following telegram from the Cuban Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (Desvernine) to the Cuban Minister at Washington was left by the Minister at the Department of State on April 5, 1917.]
You can inform his excellency the Secretary of State that the Government of Cuba is completely identified with the Government of the United States in the reasons which assist it to assume the attitude it has adopted; and profoundly grateful for the constant proofs of sincere friendship which that Government has given Cuba, only awaited to learn its friendly opinion, the President having already ordered that the message he will address to Congress be drawn up asking for constitutional authorization to consider the Republic in a state of war with Germany. He has moreover called the presidents of both Houses to confer with him, as also the Committee on Foreign Affairs and prominent leaders in politics in order to obtain an immediate approval.
With regard to the interior situation you can inform that during the last three weeks there has been hardly any destruction of property and that hundreds of rebels are daily submitting to the Government, a situation from which the conviction is drawn that in a very brief period the nation will be entirely pacified.
Congress convened yesterday without any abnormal occurrence.
The President desires you to come to Habana immediately to confer.