commissioners in a body paid their respects to him and later he returned the call and was in conference with the commission at the hotel for some time. On the afternoon of the day of the President's call, a member of the commission said to me: "The talk of the President to the commission, and especially what he said to the Mexican commissioners about the importance of their country recognizing and living up to its international obligations, was one of the most impressive things that I ever listened to."
The commission remained in session for months and during this time the American commissioners endeavoured, without success, to secure some agreement regarding the recognition and protection of the rights of our citizens in Mexico. Just how this effort was met on the part of the Mexican commissioners is shown by an incident that occurred at a session of the commission. Some time after the commission adjourned without having been able to put a word of agreement in writing, I was told by a friend, who had just arrived from the City of Mexico, that the friends of Mr. Bonillas, a representative of Mexico on the commission, were circulating there with great gusto a story that during a session of the commission one of the American members had delivered what was evidently a very carefully prepared speech for the benefit of the Mexican commissioners in which he dwelt upon
