I should certainly like it if European questions could be adjusted by the Europeans.

Of course, our country would consider any suggestion that the responsible authorities of the British Government wanted to submit to us.

Although we are well aware that in the immediate past, and perhaps even now there are certain localities where our citizens would be given over to pillage and murder but for the presence of our military forces, nevertheless it is the settled policy of our Government to deal with other nations not on the basis of force and compulsion, but on the basis of understanding and good will.

I have great hopes that Mr. Stimson is going to be able to bring that about.

Perhaps the method that he may employ is not so very important, if it results in bringing about an amicable condition.

I had rather assumed that that would be assumed by the conference.

So that while I know that the press oftentimes has to speculate some and draw deductions of positions when our foreign relations are concerned, over a matter that is somewhat delicate there is grave danger that anything of that kind may do considerable harm and ought to be resorted to only on occasions when the press is pretty certain that it is going to be right.

The Navy Department has reported to me that their information is that one American there has been killed and the American Consulate attacked and the Consul and his staff driven out.

If you see any reports of that kind, why I think you can set them down as the natural result of a man representing this Government who has had to insist that the rights of our citizens be respected.

The only reports I have ever had in relation to Ambassador Sheffield are those that praised his conduct.

I expect Ambassador Sheffield and Mrs. Sheffield and perhaps their son will come up here to visit me before I go back to Washington.

I would like to see him and talk to him sometime about the Mexican situation and get, of course, his firsthand views about it.

There is no way we could make any private understanding.

This country hasn't any method of making any understandings except through the duly authorized channels of treaties.

But the main point that I wanted to emphasize is this: That as one holding the office that is responsible for our foreign relations and one who wants to maintain friendly relations with all other nations, I always regret that some of our people make assertions that are not always warranted by the facts, the main effect of which is to stir up animosities in foreign countries against us.

Now, it is a poor rule that doesn't work both ways, and when some irresponsible person abroad makes some statement that is likely to irritate us, why I have to apply the rule here that I hope others will apply to us and realize that it is not an expression on the part of foreign governments, probably doesn't represent their convictions, probably isn't an accurate representation of the public opinion abroad.

Our Nation has associated itself with other great powers for the purpose of promoting peace in the regions of the Pacific Ocean.

Our Republic was organized to avoid and discourage war, and to promote and establish peace.