852.00/2719: Telegram
The Ambassador in Mexico (Daniels) to the Secretary of State
[Received August 21—12:25 a.m.]
148. I was informed today by the Minister for Foreign Affairs that the Government here is sending munitions to the Government of Spain. They will be loaded on a Spanish vessel now at Vera Cruz. General Hay assures me that in the shipment there are no munitions which were purchased in the United States, strictly neutral. All were manufactured [Page 506] in this country. He stated that inasmuch as Mexico was in diplomatic relations with the Spanish Government, his Government could not decline to send munitions to a friendly government. He referred to the time when the United States permitted a recognized government here to buy arms in our country and said that Mexico was following the parallel course of our Government at that time. He did not give the items in the shipment.
Later in the afternoon representatives of the Associated Press and the United Press here told me that the Spanish vessel was at Vera Cruz awaiting the arrival of 30 cars from this city loaded with arms and consigned to the Spanish Government. They added that Government officials here denied that any shipments had been made or any knowledge of cars moving to Vera Cruz.