William Bayard Hale to William Jennings Bryan

Governor Lind has courteously given me his confidence and I am able to testify to the extreme tact with which he has performed his mission. His personality made the happiest impression and no one could have succeeded where he has inevitably failed.
The fact is Huerta does not believe that the United States is in earnest. He has been told that the Mexican question is a mere matter of party politics in the United States. He has no conception whatever of the moral earnestness of our people and little conception of our physical power. Minister Gamboa, with whom Lind dealt is a respectable gentleman just returned from abroad and not at all in Huerta’s confidence. Minister Urrutia, Huerta’s nearest confidant last night indulged in a tirade against the United States which the press reports will dare only to hint at. Urrutia talked about an ultimatum and war. Huerta himself suave to Lind talks to his friends of marching the army to St. Louis without opposition.
After three months spent in studying this people and canvassing the situation I again submit the opinion that there will be no yielding to your suggestions until it has been borne in mind on Huerta that the United States is resolutely determined and fully prepared to enforce them but that when that is clearly understood the actual employment of physical force will probably be unnecessary. Mr. Lind exhausted the possibilities of politeness. I suggest an object lesson of a different character