New York Times 100 years ago today, August 14, 1913:
Washington Officials So Construe His Quoted Words.
Special to The New York Times.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 13.— Officials and others following the Mexican situation read with interest to-day the confidential letter from Mexico City written by an aid of Gen. Felix Diaz to his chief, setting forth the details of an interview with Dr. William Bayard Hale, in which Dr. Hale made observations concerning President Huerta and conditions in Mexico. Statements attributed to Dr. Hale dovetail so close with views of the Wilson Administration as to give inferential confirmation to the belief that he is in Mexico as an agent of the United States.
It never has been admitted officially here that Dr. Hale was sent to Mexico to obtain information for the Administration. The only official explanation offered of the reports that he was President Wilson's representative was that he had gone to Mexico for a newspaper and had offered to keep the President informed of what was going on, and that the President had expressed a desire to learn what Dr. Hale had to impart. That explanation was official in the sense that it came from one of the highest officers of the Government.
Little doubt is felt, however, by those who have made close inquiry that although Dr. Hale does not bear the commission or the President or a warrant from the State Department, he occupies in lesser degree the same status as John Lind, the President's special representative, with the difference that Mr. Lind has power to act through the medium of the American Embassy and Dr. Hale has not. Dr. Hale was in Mexico City when Henry Lane Wilson was there as the American Ambassador. The general belief among officials here that it was Dr. Hale's mission to "check up" on the Ambassador is said to have embarrassed Mr. Wilson greatly.
A report that has reached Washington from Mexico City runs that Dr. Hale is in possession of a copy of the State Department's secret cipher code book. Such books are intrusted only to diplomatic officers or in some cases to Consular officers. There is evidence indicating that Reginald Francisco Del Valle, who was in Mexico for a month prior to the departure of Ambassador Wilson, used a secret code book to communicate with the State Department Reports reached here when Mr. Del Valle was in Mexico that he had been sent there as a special Commissioner of this Government. The explanation of his visit given in official circles here was that he was sending communications indirectly to President Wilson, but that he had no official connection with the Government and was not serving under orders. It has come to be understood recently, however, that Mr. Del Valle went to Mexico by Secretary Bryan's authority and that he made official reports to Mr. Bryan in regard to the Mexico situation. In view of this, there is a disposition to believe that Dr. Hale is in Mexico on a similar mission.
In the letter of the Diaz aid Dr. Hale was reported as saying that financiers having options on Mexican bonds would not take them on account of the non-recognition of the Huerta Government by the United States. That fits the idea pervading the Administration that if an announcement should be made that President Wilson would not recognize President Huerta in any circumstances, Huerta would find such difficulty in obtaining money that his embarrassment would lead him to heed a proposal from this Government that he consent to cessation of hostilities pending a constitutional election.
Officials have admitted that the information they were receiving about Mexico was "rather mixed." It has been assumed the confusion arose from the fact that in addition to the American Embassy, this Government was getting reports from Dr. Hale and Mr. Del Valle. Mr. Lind supposedly is engaged in an effort to straighten the tangle.
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