Le MeschaceÌbeÌ. [volume] ([Lucy] La.) 1853-1942, 1918-06-01
DENIAL IS MADE or RUPTURE
BETWEEN MEXICO AND CUBA
Severance of Relations In Interest Of
Friendship Only, Says Carranza
Foreign Minister.

Havana, Cuba.-Official denial that
a rupture has occurred in diplomatic
relations between Cuba and Mexico
was issued by the state department
at Havana Sunday.
The Cuban charge d'affairs in Mex
leo informed the state department that
the Mexican minister of state explain
ed the Mexican charge d'affairs in
Cuba had been recalled that he might
personally discuss certain foreign mat
ters with the Mexican government.
The Mexican charge d'affairs has
turned his files over to the consulate
and taken formal leave of the Cuban
authorities.
Although without official informa-
| ton of a detailed character, it is un-
derstood at Washington that Mexico's
| real grievance against Cuba is the re-
cent incident in which the Mexican
minister to Argentina, Senyor Ysidro
Fabela, was delayed in Havana while
some official, Ostensibly a Cuban Gus
toms inspector, searched his baggage
and probably reviewed some papers
said to be of an international char
acter. No announcements of this fea-
ture are being made and no official
secrets, If there be any, are being
disclosed. But it is known at the same
time some sort of a negotiation was
goiNg on between Mexico, Argentina
and possibly one other Latin-American
country having for its purpose a com
mon attitude toward the war 1t is
presumed that any papers found in
Senor Fabela's luggage had to do with
it.
This incident is believed at Wash
ington to be the real cause of the
break, and those who entertain this
belief are firm in the conviction that
Mexico was convinced that the United
States was responsible.
When Senor Fabela's luggage was
searched it was maintained by some
that the person who did it was not
a Cuban official at all, but some other
agent in the disguise of a Cuban in
spector. Later, however, it is said it
was satisfactorily established that the
man really was a Cuban inspector.
The break between Cuba and Mexi-
co, it is felt, disrupts principally moth
ing but long standing friendly re-
lation. In the opinion of thosesin close
touch with the subject, it may actual |
ly give Cuba free hand, as the Mex |
lean foreign minister says in his an
but perhaps not in the |
manner suggested.
Mexican agents for some time have |
been representing German agents op-
Grating in Cuba, some of them crossing
to the United States as
Cuban citizens or Mexican citizens.
A severance of diplomatic relations
probably would leave the Cuban gov
more at liberty to investigate
their activities.
At Mexico City General Candido
Aguilar, minister of foreign affairs,
gave out a statement for the an
purpose of avoiding a misin-
.erpretation of Mexico's action, he
said. The statement follows:
"The president of the republic and
he cabinet at a special meeting have
lecided that it was an imperative ne
'essity to recall the Mexican diplo-
matte representative to Cuba and to
suspend for an indefinite period the
ending of new representative, be-
ause it was considered an indispens-
bile measure for the high ideals and
interests of the two nations in the
ctual moments of an acute world
risis. The state of war in which
'uba is involved has obliged the gov
of Cuba to dictate measures
hat in many cases affect the inter
SITS of the Mexican government and ,
er citizens and for this reason the
ieXican legation would be called up
n to make frequent representations ..
} the Cuban government which would
My be useless and which would re-
-rict the liberty of action of friend
: nation, which is now in an afflicted S
tuation"