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 Copy 2 
 
 NOTE 
 
 OF THE 
 
 CD 
 
 SECRETARY OF STATE 
 
 OF THE UNITED STATES 
 
 TO THE 
 
 SECRETARY OF FOREIGN RELATIONS 
 
 OF THE DE FACTO GOVERNMENT OF MEXICO 
 
 DATED 
 
 JUNE 20, 1916 
 
 WASHINGTON 
 
 GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 
 
 1916 
 
 -2^ 
 

 of^<Z 
 
 In the House of Representatives, 
 
 June 23, 1916. 
 Ordered, That the note of the Secretary of State to the Secretary of Foreign Rela- 
 tions of the de facto Government of Mexico of June 20, 1916, be printed as a House 
 Document. 
 2 
 
 D. of D. 
 JUL 7 1916 
 
NOTE. 
 
 Department of State, 
 
 Washington^ June W, 1916. 
 
 Sir: I have read your communication, which was de- 
 livered to me on May 22, 1916, under instructions of the 
 Chief Executive of the de facto Government of Mexico, 
 on the subject of the presence of American troops in 
 Mexican territory, and I would be wanting in candor if 
 I did not, before making answer to the allegations of 
 fact and the conclusions reached by your Government, 
 express the surprise and regret which have been caused 
 this Government by the discourteous tone and temper of 
 this last cornmunication of the de facto Government of 
 Mexico. 
 
 The Government of the United States has viewed with 
 deep concern and increasing disappointment the progress 
 of the revolution in Mexico. Continuous bloodshed and 
 disorders have marked its progress. For three years the 
 Mexican Eepublic has been torn with civil strife; the 
 lives of Americans and other aliens have been sacrificed; 
 vast properties developed by American capital and enter- 
 prise have been destroyed or rendered nonproductive; 
 bandits have been permitted to roam at will through the 
 territory contiguous to the United States and to seize, 
 without punishment or without effective attempt at pun- 
 ishment, the property of Americans, while the lives of 
 citizens of the United States who ventured to remain in 
 Mexican territory or to return there to protect their 
 interests have been taken, and in some cases barbarously 
 taken, and the murderers have neither been apprehended 
 nor brought to justice. It would be difficult to find in the 
 annals of the history of Mexico conditions more deplor- 
 
 3 
 
4 NOTE OF THE SECEETARY OF STATJE. 
 
 able than those which have existed there during these 
 recent years of civil war. 
 
 It would be tedious to recount instance after instance, 
 outrage after outrage, atrocity after atrocity, to illustrate 
 the true nature and extent of the widespread conditions 
 of lawlessness and violence which have prevailed. Dur- 
 ing the past nine months in particular, the frontier of 
 the United States along the lower Rio Grande has been 
 thrown into a state of constant apprehension and turmoil 
 because of frequent and sudden incursions into American 
 territory and depredations and murders on American soil 
 by Mexican bandits, who have taken the lives and de- 
 stroyed the property of American citizens, sometimes 
 carrying American citizens across the international boun- 
 dary with the booty seized. American garrisons have 
 been attacked at night, American soldiers killed and their 
 equipment and horses stolen; American ranches have 
 been raided, property stolen and destroyed, and American 
 trains wrecked and plundered. The attacks on Browns- 
 ville, Eed House Ferry, Progreso Post Office, and Las 
 Peladas, all occurring during September last, are typical. 
 In these attacks on American territory, Carrancista ad- 
 herents, and even Carrancista soldiers took part in the 
 looting, burning, and killing. Not only were these mur- 
 ders characterized by ruthless brutality, but uncivilized 
 acts of mutilation were perpetrated. Representations 
 were made to General Carranza and he was emphatically 
 requested to stop these reprehensible acts in a section 
 which he has long claimed to be under the complete domi- 
 nation of his authority. Notwithstanding these repre- 
 sentations and the promise of General Naf arrete to pre- 
 vent attacks along the international boundary, in the fol- 
 lowing month of October a passenger train was wrecked 
 by bandits and several persons killed seven miles north 
 of Brownsville, and an attack was made upon United 
 State troops at the same place several days later. Since 
 these attacks leaders of the bandits well known both to 
 Mexican civil and military authorities as well as to Amer- 
 ican officers have been enjoying with impunity the liberty 
 of the towns of northern Mexico. So far has the in- 
 
NOTE OF THE SECEETARY OF STATE, 5 
 
 difference of the de facto Government to these atrocities 
 gone that some of these leaders, as I am advised, have 
 received not only the protection of that Government, but 
 encouragement and aid as well. 
 
 Depredations upon American persons and property 
 within Mexican jurisdiction have been still more numer- 
 ous. This Government has repeatedly requested in the 
 strongest terms that the de facto Government safeguard 
 the lives and homes of American citizens and furnish 
 the protection, which international obligation imposes, 
 to American interests in the Northern States of Tamauli- 
 pas, Nuevo Leon, Coahuila, Chihuahua, and Sonora, and 
 also in the States to the South. For example, on January 
 3d troops were requested to punish the bands of outlaws 
 which looted the Cusi mining property, eighty miles west 
 of Chihuahua, but no effective results came from this 
 request. During the following week the bandit Villa 
 with his band of about 200 men was operating without 
 opposition between Rubio and Santa Ysabel, a fact well 
 known to Carrancista authorities. Meanwhile a party 
 of unfortunate Americans started by train from Chihua- 
 hua to visit the Cusi mines, after having received assur- 
 ances from the Carrancista authorities in the State of 
 Chihuahua that the country was safe, and that a guard 
 on the train was not necessary. The Americans held 
 passports or safe conducts issued by authorities of the 
 de facto Government. On January 10th the train was 
 stopped by Villa bandits and eighteen of the American 
 party were stripped of their clothing and shot in cold 
 blood, in what is now known as " the Santa Ysabel mas- 
 sacre." General Carranza stated to the Agent of the 
 Department of State that he had issued orders for the 
 immediate pursuit, capture, and punishment of those 
 responsible for this atrocious crime, and appealed to this 
 Government and to the American people to consider the 
 difficulties of according protection along the railroad 
 where the massacre occurred. Assurances were also 
 given by Mr. Arredondo, presumably under instructions 
 from the de facto Government, that the murders would 
 be brought to justice, and that steps would also be taken 
 
6 NOTE OF THE SECRETARY .OF STATE. 
 
 to remedy the lawless conditions existing in the State of 
 Durango. It is true that Villa, Castro, and Lopez were 
 publicly declared to be outlaws and subject to apprehen- 
 sion and execution, but so far as known, only a single 
 man personally connected with this massacre has been 
 brought to justice by Mexican authorities. Within a 
 month after this barbarous slaughter of inojffensive 
 Americans it was notorious that Villa was operating with- 
 in twenty miles of Cusihuiriachic, and publicly stated 
 that his purpose was to destroy American lives niid 
 property. Despite repeated and insistent demands that 
 military protection should be furnished to Americans, 
 Villa openly carried on his operations, constantly ap- 
 proaching closer and closer to the border. He was not 
 intercepted, nor were his movements impeded by troops 
 of the de facto Government, and no effectual attempt was 
 made to frustrate his hostile designs against Americans. 
 In fact, as I am informed, while Villa and his band were 
 slowly moving toward the American frontier in the 
 neighborhood of Columbus, New Mexico, not a single 
 Mexican soldier was seen in his vicinity. Yet the Mexi- 
 can authorities were fully cognizant of his movements, 
 for on March 6th, as General Gavira publicly announced, 
 he advised the American military authorities of the out- 
 law's approach to the border, so that they might be pre- 
 pared to prevent him from crossing the boundary. 
 Villa's unhindered activities culminated in the unpro- 
 voked and cold-blooded attack upon American soldiers 
 and citizens in the town of Columbus on the night of 
 March 9th, the details of which do not need repetition 
 here in order to refresh your memory with the heinous- 
 ness of the crime. After murdering, burning, and plund- 
 ering. Villa and his bandits fleeing south passed within 
 sight of the Carrancista military post at Casas Grandes, 
 and no effort was made to stop him by the officers and 
 garrison of the de facto Government stationed there. 
 
 In the face of these depredations not only on American 
 lives and property on Mexican soil but on American sol- 
 diers, citizens and homes on American territory, the per- 
 petrators of which General Carranza was unable or 
 
NOTE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE. 7 
 
 possibly considered it inadvisable to apprehend and pun- 
 ish, the United States had no recourse other than to em- 
 ploy force to disperse the bands of Mexican outlaws who 
 were with increasing boldness systematically raidino- 
 across the international boundary. The marauders en- 
 gaged in the attack on Columbus were driven back across 
 the border by American cavalry, and subsequently, as 
 soon as a sufficient force to cope with the band could be 
 collected, were pursued into Mexico in an effort to cap- 
 ture or destroy them. Without co-operation or assistance 
 in the field on the part of the de facto Government, de- 
 spite repeated requests by the United States, and without 
 apparent recognition on its part of the desirability of 
 putting an end to these systematic raids, or of punishing 
 the chief perpetrators of the crimes committed, because 
 they menaced the good relations of the two countries, 
 American forces pursued the lawless bands as far as 
 Parral, where the pursuit was halted by the hostility 
 of Mexicans, presumed to be loyal to the de facto Gov- 
 ernment, who arrayed themselves on the side of outlawry 
 and became in effect the protectors of Villa and his band. 
 In this manner and for these reasons have the Ameri- 
 can forces entered Mexican territory. Knowing fully 
 the circumstances set forth the . de facto Government 
 cannot be blind to the necessity which compelled this 
 Government to act and yet it has seen fit to recite ground- 
 less sentiments of hostility toward the expedition and to 
 impute to this Government ulterior motives for the con- 
 tinued presence of American troops on Mexican soil. 
 It is charged that these troops crossed the frontier with- 
 out first obtaining the consent or permission of the de 
 facto Government. Obviously, as immediate action alone 
 could avail, there was no opportunity to reach an agree- 
 ment (other than that of March 10th-13th now repudi- 
 ated by General Carranza) prior to the entrance of such 
 an expedition into Mexico if the expedition was to be 
 effective. Subsequent events and correspondence have 
 demonstrated to the satisfaction of this Government that 
 General Carranza would not have entered into any agree- 
 ment providing for an effective plan for the capture and 
 
8 NOTE OF THE SECEETAEY OE STATE. 
 
 destruction of the Villa bands. While the American 
 troops were moving rapidly southward in pursuit of the 
 raiders, it was the form and nature of the agreement that 
 occupied the attention of General Carranza rather than 
 the practical object which it was to attain — ^the number 
 of limitations that could be imposed upon the American 
 forces to impede their progress rather than the obstacles 
 that could be raised to prevent the escape of the outlaws. 
 It was General Carranza who suspended through your 
 note of April 12th all discussions and negotiations for 
 an agreement along the lines of the Protocols between the 
 United States and Mexico concluded during the period 
 1882-1896, under which the two countries had so success- 
 fully restored peaceful conditions on their common boun- 
 dary. It may be mentioned here that, notwithstanding 
 the statement in your note that " the American Govern- 
 ment gave no answer to the note of the 12th of April," 
 this note was replied to on April 14th, when the Depart- 
 ment instructed Mr. Kodgers by telegraph to deliver this 
 Government's answer to General Carranza. Shortly 
 after this reply the conferences between Generals Scott, 
 Funston and Obregon began at El Paso, during which 
 they signed on May 2d a project of a memorandum ad 
 referendum regarding the withdrawal of American 
 troops. As an indication of the alleged bad faith of the 
 American Government, you state that though Genera] 
 Scott declared in this memorandum that the destruction 
 and dispersion of the Villa band "had been accom- 
 plished," yet American forces are not withdrawn from 
 Mexico. It is only necessary to read the memorandum, 
 which is in the English language, to ascertain that this 
 is clearly a misstatement, for the memorandum states 
 that "the American punitive expeditionary forces have 
 destroyed or dispersed many of the lawless elements and 
 bandits, * * * or have driven them far into the inte- 
 rior of the Eepublic of Mexico," and further, that the 
 United States forces were then " carrying on a vigorous 
 pursuit of such small numbers of bandits or lawless ele- 
 ments as may have escaped." The context of your note 
 gives the impression that the object of the expedition 
 
N"OTE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE. 9 
 
 being admittedly accomplished, the United States had 
 agreed in the memorandum to begin the withdrawal of 
 its troops. The memorandum shows, however, that it 
 was not alone on account of partial dispersion of the 
 bandits that it was decided to begin the withdrawal of 
 American forces, but equally on account of the assurances 
 of the Mexican Government that their forces were " at 
 the present time being augmented and strengthened to 
 such an extent that they will be able to prevent any dis- 
 orders occurring in Mexico that would in any way en- 
 danger American territory," and that they would " con- 
 tinue to diligently pursue, capture or destroy any lawless • 
 bands of bandits that may still exist or hereafter exist 
 in the northern part of Mexico," and that it would " make 
 a proper distribution of such of its forces as may be 
 necessary to prevent the possibility of invasion of Ameri- 
 can territory from Mexico." It was because of these 
 assurances and because of General Scott's confidence that 
 they would be carried out that he stated in the memo- 
 randum that the American forces would be '"'• gradually 
 withdrawn." It is to be noted that, while the American 
 Government was willing to ratify this agreement. Gen- 
 eral Carranza refused to do so, as General Obregon 
 stated, because, among other things, it imposed improper 
 conditions upon the Mexican Government. 
 
 Notwithstanding the assurances in the memorandum, it 
 is well known that the forces of the de facto Government 
 have not carried on a vigorous pursuit of the remaining 
 bandits and that no proper distribution of forces to pre- 
 vent the invasion of American territory has been made, 
 as will be shown by the further facts hereinafter set 
 forth. I am reluctant to be forced to the conclusion 
 which might be drawn from these circumstances that the 
 de facto Government, in spite of the crimes committed 
 and the sinister designs of Villa and his followers, did 
 not and does not now intend or desire that these outlaws 
 should be captured, destroyed, or dispersed by American 
 troops or, at the request of this Government, by Mexican 
 troops. 
 
10 XOTE OF THE SEGRETAEY OF STATE. 
 
 While the conferences at El Paso were in progress, 
 and after the American conferees had been assured on 
 May 2d that the Mexican forces in the northern part of 
 the Republic were then being augmented so as to be able 
 to prevent any disorders that would endanger American 
 territory, a band of Mexicans, on the night of May 5th, 
 made an attack at Glenn Springs, Texas, about twenty 
 miles north of the border, killing American soldiers and 
 civilians, burning and sacking property and carrying off 
 two Americans as prisoners. Subsequent to this event, 
 the Mexican Government, as you state, " gave instruc- 
 tions to General Obregon to notify that of the United 
 States that it would not permit the further passage of 
 American troops into Mexico on this account, and that 
 orders had been given to all military commanders along 
 the frontier not to consent to same." This Government 
 is of course not in a position to dispute the statement 
 that these instructions had been given to General Obre- 
 gon, but it can decisively a*ssert that General Obregon 
 never gave any such notification to General Scott or 
 General Funston or, so far as known, to any other 
 American official. General Obregon did, however, in- 
 quire as to whether American troops had entered Mexico 
 in pursuit of the Glenn Springs raiders, and General 
 Funston stated that no orders had been issued to Ameri- 
 can troops to cross the frontier on account of the raid, 
 but this statement was made before any such orders had 
 been issued, and not afterwards, as the erroneous account 
 of the interview given in your note would appear to indi- 
 cate. Moreover, no statement was made by the American 
 Generals that "no more American troops would cross 
 into our territory." On the contrary, it was pointed out 
 to General Obregon and to Mr. Juan Amador, who was 
 present at the conference, and pointed out with em- 
 phasis, that the bandits de la Eosa and Pedro Vino, who 
 had been instrumental in causing the invasion of Texas 
 above Brownsville, were even then reported to be arrang- 
 ing in the neighborhood of Victoria for another raid 
 across the border, and it was made clear to General 
 Obregon that if the Mexican Government did not take 
 
NOTE OF THE SECEETAEY OF STATE. ' 11 
 
 immediate steps to prevent another invasion of the 
 United States by these marauders, who were frequently 
 seen in the company of General Nafarrete, the Constitu- 
 tionalist commander, Mexico would find in Tamaulipas 
 another punitive expedition similar to that then in Chi- 
 huahua. American troops crossed into Mexico on May 
 10th, upon notification to the local military authorities, 
 under the repudiated agreement of March 10-13th, or 
 in any event in accordance with the practice adopted 
 over forty years ago, when there was no agreement re- 
 garding pursuit of marauders across the international 
 boundary. These troops penetrated 168 miles into Mexi- 
 can territory in pursuit of the Glenn Springs marauders 
 without encountering a detachment of Mexican troops or 
 a single Mexican soldier. Further discussion of this raid, 
 however, is not necessary, because the American forces 
 sent in pursuit of the bandits recrossed into Texas on the 
 morning of May 22d, the date of your note under con- 
 sideration — a further proof of the singleness of purpose 
 of this Government in endeavoring to quell disorder and 
 stamp out lawlessness along the border. 
 
 During the continuance of the El Paso conferences, 
 General Scott you assert, did not take into consideration 
 the plan proposed by the Mexican Government for the 
 protection of the frontier by the reciprocal distribution 
 of troops along the boundary. This proposition was 
 made by General Obregon a number of times, but each 
 time conditioned upon the immediate withdrawal of 
 American troops, and the Mexican conferees were in- 
 variably informed that immediate withdrawal could not 
 take place, and that therefore it was impossible to discuss 
 the project on that basis. 
 
 I have noted the fact that your communication is not 
 limited to a discussion of the deplorable conditions exist- 
 ing along the border and their important bearing on the 
 peaceful relations of our Governments, but that an effort 
 is made to connect it with other circumstances in order 
 to support, if possible, a mistaken interpretation of the 
 attitude of the Government of the United States toward 
 Mexico. You state in effect that the American Govern- 
 
12 :note of the secretaey of state. 
 
 ment has placed every obstacle in the way of attaining 
 the pacification of Mexico, and that this is shown by the 
 Yohime of diplomatic representations in behalf of Ameri- 
 can interests which constantly impede efforts to reorgan- 
 ize the political, economical, and social conditions of the 
 country; by the decided aid lent at one time to Villa by 
 American officers and by the Department of State; by 
 the aid extended by the American Catholic clergy to that of 
 Mexico; by the constant activity of the American press 
 in favor of intervention and the interests of American 
 business men; by the shelter and supply of rebels and 
 conspirators on American territory; by the detention of 
 shipments of arms and munitions purchased by the Mexi- 
 can Government; and by the detention of machinery 
 intended for their manufacture. 
 
 In repl}^ to this sweeping charge, I can truthfully affirm 
 that the American Government has given every possible 
 encouragement to the de facto Government in the pacifica- 
 tion and rehabilitation of Mexico. From the moment of 
 its recognition, it has had the undivided support of this 
 Government. An embargo was placed upon arms and 
 ammunition going into Chihuahua, Sonora, and Lower 
 California, in order to prevent their falling into the 
 hands of the armed opponents of the de facto Govern- 
 ment. Permission has been granted from time to time, 
 as requested, for Mexican troops and equipment to 
 traverse American territory from one point to another 
 in Mexico in order that the operations of Mexican troops 
 against Villa and his forces might be facilitated. In 
 view of these friendly acts, I am surprised that the de 
 facto Government has construed diplomatic representa- 
 tions in regard to the unjust treatment accorded Ameri- 
 can interests, private assistance to opponents to the de 
 facto Government by sympathizers in a foreign country, 
 and the activity of a foreign press as interference by the 
 United States Government in the domestic politics of 
 Mexico. If a denial is needed that this Government has 
 had ulterior and improper motives in its diplomatic rep- 
 resentations, or has countenanced the activities of Ameri- 
 can sympathizers and the American press opposed to 
 
IS'OTE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE. 13 
 
 the de facto Government, I am glad most emphatically 
 to deny it. It is, however, a matter of common knowl- 
 edge that the Mexican press has been more active than 
 the press in the United States in endeavoring to inflame 
 the two peoples against each other and to force the two 
 countries into hostilities. With the power of censorship 
 of the Mexican press, so rigorously exercised by the 
 de facto Government, the responsibility for this activity 
 cannot, it would seem, be avoided by that Government, 
 and the issue of the appeal of General Carranza himself 
 in the press of March 12th, calling upon the Mexican peo- 
 ple to be prepared for any emergency which might arise, 
 and intimating that war with the United States was 
 imminent, evidences the attitude of the de facto Govern- 
 ment toward these publications. It should not be a mat- 
 ter of surprise that, after such manifestations of hostile 
 feeling, the United States was doubtful of the purpose 
 for which the large amount of ammunition was to be 
 used which the de facto Government appeared eager to 
 import from this country. Moreover, the policy of the 
 de facto Government in refusing to co-operate and in 
 failing to act independently in destroying the Villa ban- 
 dits and in otherwise suppressing outlawry in the vicinity 
 of the border so as to remove the danger of war mate- 
 rials, while passing southward through this zone, falling 
 into the hands of the enemies of law and order is, in 
 the opinion of this Government, a sufficient ground, even 
 if there were no other, for the refusal to allow such 
 materials to cross the boundary into the bandit-infested 
 region. To have permitted these shipments without care- 
 ful scrutiny would, in the circumstances, have been to 
 manifest a sense of security which would have been 
 unjustified. 
 
 Candor compels me to add that the unconcealed hos- 
 tility of the subordinate military commanders of the dt 
 facto Government toward the American troops engaged 
 in pursuing the Villa bands and the efforts of the de 
 facto Government to compel their withdrawal from 
 Mexican territory by threats and show of military force 
 instead of by aiding in the capture of the outlaws con- 
 
14 NOTE OF THE SECEETARY OF STATE. 
 
 stitute a menace to the safety of the American troops 
 and to the peace of the border. As long as this menace 
 continues and there is any evidence of an intention on the 
 part of the de facto Government or its military com- 
 manders to use force against the American troops instead 
 of co-operating with them, the Government of the United 
 States will not permit munitions of war or machinery for 
 their manufacture to be exported from this country to 
 Mexico. 
 
 As to the shelter and supply of rebels and conspirators 
 on American territory, I can state that vigorous efforts 
 have been and are being made by the agents of the United 
 States to apprehend and bring to justice all persons foimd 
 to be conspiring to violate the laws of the United States 
 by organizing to oppose with arms the de facto Govern- 
 ment of Mexico. Political refugees have undoubtedly 
 sought asylum in the United States, but this Govern- 
 ment has vigilantly kept them under surveillance and 
 has not hesitated to apprehend them upon proof of their 
 criminal intentions, as the arrest of General Huerta and 
 others fully attests. 
 
 Having corrected the erroneous statements of fact to 
 which I have adverted, the real situation stands forth 
 in its true light. It is admitted that American troops 
 have crossed the international boundary in hot pursuit 
 of the Columbus raiders and without notice to or the 
 consent of your Government but the several protestations 
 on the part of this Government by the President, by this 
 Department, and by other American authorities, that the 
 object of the expedition was to capture, destroj'^, or com- 
 pletely disperse the Villa bands of outlaws or to turn 
 this duty over to the Mexican authorities when assured 
 that it would be effectively fulfilled, have been carried 
 out in perfect good faith by the United States. Its 
 efforts, however, have been obstructed at every point; 
 first, by insistence on a palpably useless agreement which 
 you admit was either not to apply to the present expedi- 
 tion or was to contain impracticable restrictions on its 
 organization and operation; then by actual opposition, 
 encouraged and fostered b}'^ the de facto Government, to 
 
NOTE OF THE SECEETAKY OF STATE. 15 
 
 the further advance of the expedition into Villa territory, 
 which was followed by the sudden suspension of all 
 negotiations for an arrangement for the pursuit of Villa 
 and his followers and the protection of the frontier ; and 
 finally by a demand for the immediate withdrawal of 
 the American troops. Meantime, conditions of anarchy 
 in the border States of Mexico were continually growing 
 worse. Incursions into American territory were plotted 
 and perpetrated; the Glenn Springs raid was success- 
 fully executed, while no effective efforts were being made 
 by General Carranza to improve the conditions and to 
 protect American territory from constant threat of in- 
 vasion. In view of this increasing menace, of the inac- 
 tivity of the Carranza forces, of the lack of co-operation 
 in the apprehension of the Villa bands, and of the known 
 encouragement and aid given to bandit leaders, it h. 
 unreasonable to expect the United States to withdraw 
 its forces from Mexican territory or to prevent their 
 entry again when their presence is the only check upon 
 further bandit outrages and the only efficient means of 
 protecting American lives and homes — safeguards which 
 General Carranza, though internationally obligated to 
 supply, is manifestly unable or unwilling to give. 
 
 In view of the actual state of affairs as I have outlined 
 it above, I am now in a position to consider the conclu- 
 sions which you have drawn in your note under acknowl- 
 edgment from the erroneous statements of fact which 
 you have set forth. 
 
 Your Government intimates, if it does not openly 
 charge, that the attitude of the United States is one of 
 insincerity, distrust, and suspicion toward the de facto 
 Government of Mexico, and that the intention of the 
 United States in sending its troops into Mexico is to ex- 
 tend its sovereignty over Mexican territory, and not 
 merely for the purpose of pursuing marauders and pre- 
 venting future raids across the border. The de facto 
 Government charges by implication which admits of but 
 one interpretation, that this Government has as its object 
 territorial aggrandizement even at the expense of a war 
 of aggression against a neighbor weakened by years of 
 
16 2n^ote of the seceetaey of state. 
 
 civil strife. The Government of the United States, if it 
 had had designs upon the territory of Mexico, would have 
 had no difficulty in finding during this period of revolu- 
 tion and disorder many plausible arguments for inter- 
 vention in Mexican ajffairs. Hoping, however, that the 
 people of Mexico would through their own efforts restore 
 peace and establish an orderly government, the United 
 States has awaited with patience the consummation of 
 the revolution. 
 
 When the superiority of the revolutionary faction led 
 by General Carranza became undoubted, the United 
 States, after conferring with six others of the American 
 Eepublics, recognized unconditionally the present de 
 facto Government. It hoped and expected that that 
 Government would speedily restore order and provide 
 the Mexican people and others, who had given their 
 energy and substance to the development of the great 
 resources of the Republic, opportunity to rebuild in peace 
 and security their shattered fortunes. 
 
 This Government has waited month after month for 
 the consummation of its hope and expectation. In spite 
 of increasing discouragements, in spite of repeated 
 provocations to exercise force in the restoration of order 
 in the northern regions of Mexico, where American in- 
 terests have suffered most seriously from lawlessness, the 
 Govermnent of the United States has refrained from 
 aggressive action and sought by appeals and moderate 
 though explicit demands to impress upon the de facto 
 Government the seriousness of the situation and to arouse 
 it to its duty to perform its international obligations 
 toward citizens of the United States who had entered the 
 territory of Mexico or had vested interests within its 
 boundaries. 
 
 In the face of constantly renewed evidences of the 
 patience and restraint of this Government in circum- 
 stances which only a government unbued with unselfish- 
 ness and a sincere desire to respect to the full the sov- 
 ereign rights and national dignity of the Mexican people 
 would have endured, doubts and suspicions as to the 
 motives of the Government of the United States are 
 
NOTE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE. 17 
 
 expressed in your communication of May 22d, for which 
 I can imagine no purpose but to impugn the good faith 
 of this Government for I find it hard to believe that 
 such imputations are not universally known to be without 
 the least shadow of justification in fact. 
 
 Can the de facto Government doubt that, if the United 
 States had turned covetous eyes on Mexican territory, it 
 could have found many pretexts in the past for the grati- 
 fication of its desire? Can that Government doubt that 
 months ago, when the war between the revolutionary fac- 
 tions was in progress, a much better opportunity than 
 the present was afforded for American intervention, if 
 such has been the purpose of the United States as the de 
 facto Government now insinuates? What motive could 
 this Government have had in refraining from taking 
 advantage of such opportunities other than unselfish 
 friendship for the Mexican Republic? I have of course 
 given consideration to your argument that the responsi- 
 bility for the present situation rests largely upon this 
 Government. In the first place, you state that even the 
 American forces along the border whose attention is un- 
 divided by other military operations, " Find themselves 
 physically unable to protect effectively the frontier on 
 the American side." Obviously, if there is no means of 
 reaching bands roving on Mexican territory and making 
 sudden dashes at night into American territory it is 
 impossible to prevent such invasions unless the frontier 
 is protected by a cordon of troops. No government 
 could be expected to maintain a force of this strength 
 along the boundary of a nation with which it is at peace 
 for the purpose of resisting the onslaughts of a few 
 bands of lawless men, especially when the neighboring 
 state makes no effort to prevent these attacks. The most 
 effective method of preventing raids of this nature, as 
 past experience has fully demonstrated, is to visit punish- 
 ment or destruction on the raiders. It is precisely this 
 plan which the United States desires to follow along the 
 border without any intention of infringing upon the 
 sovereign rights of her neighbor, but which, although ob- 
 H. Doc. 1237, 64-1 2 
 
18 NOTE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE. 
 
 viously advantageous to the de facto Government, it re- 
 fuses to allow or even countenance. It is in fact pro- 
 tection to American lives and property about which the 
 United States is solicitous and not the methods or ways 
 in which that protection shall be accomplished. If the 
 Mexican Government is unwilling or unable to give this 
 protection by preventing its territory from being the 
 rendezvous and refuge of murderers and plunderers, that 
 does not relieve this Government from its duty to take 
 all the steps necessary to safeguard American citizens on 
 American soil. The United States Government can not 
 and will not allow bands of lawless men to establish 
 themselves upon its borders with liberty to invade and 
 plunder American territory with impunity and, when 
 pursued, to seek safety across the Rio Grande, relying 
 upon the plea of their Government that the integrity of 
 the soil of the Mexican Republic must not be violated. 
 
 The Mexican Government further protests that it has 
 "made every effort on its part to protect the frontier" 
 and that it is doing " all possible to avoid a recurrence of 
 such acts." Attention is again invited to the well-known 
 and unrestricted activity of de la Rosa, Ancieto Piscano 
 Pedro Vinos and others in connection with border raids 
 and to the fact that, as I am advised, up to June 4th de 
 la Rosa was still collecting troops at Monterey for the 
 openly avowed purpose of making attacks on Texan bor- 
 der towns and that Pedro Vino was recruiting at other 
 places for the same avowed purpose. I have already 
 pointed out the uninterrupted progress of Villa to and 
 from Columbus, and the fact that the American forces 
 in pursuit of the Glenn Springs marauders penetrated 
 168 miles into Mexican territory without encountering :i 
 single Carrancista soldier. This does not indicate that 
 the Mexican Government is doing " all possible " to avoid 
 further raids ; and if it is doing " all possible," this is not 
 sufficient to prevent border raids, and there is every rea- 
 son, therefore, why this Government must take such pre- 
 ventive measures as it deems sufficient. 
 
 It is suggested that injuries suffered on account of 
 bandit raids are a matter of " pecuniary reparation " but 
 
NOTE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE. 19 
 
 " never the cause for American forces to invade Mexican 
 soil." The precedents which have been established and 
 maintained by the Government of the Mexican Kepublic 
 for the last half century do not bear out this statement. 
 It has grown to be almost a custom not to settle depre- 
 dations of bandits by payments of money alone, but to 
 quell such disorders and to prevent such crimes by swift 
 and sure punishment. 
 
 The de facto Government finally argues that " if the 
 frontier were duly protected from incursions from Mex- 
 ico there would be no reason for the existing difficulty " ; 
 thus the de facto Government attempts to absolve itself 
 from the first duty of any Government, namely, the pro- 
 tection of life and property. This is the paramount ob- 
 ligation for which governments are instituted, and gov- 
 ernments neglecting or failing to perform it are not 
 worthy of the name. This is the duty for which General 
 Carranza, it must be assumed, initiated his revolution in 
 Mexico and organized the present Government and for 
 which the United States Government recognized his gov- 
 ernment as the de facto Government of Mexico. Pro- 
 tection of American lives and property, then, in the 
 United States is first the obligation of this Government, 
 and in Mexico is, first, the obligation of Mexico, and sec- 
 ond, the obligation of the United States. In securing 
 this protection along the cormnon boundary the United 
 States has a right to expect the cooperation of its neigh- 
 boring Eepublic; and yet, instead of taking steps to 
 check or punish the raiders, the de facto Government de- 
 murs and objects to measures taken by the United States. 
 The Government of the United States does not wish to 
 believe that the de facto Government approves these ma- 
 rauding attacks, yet as they continue to be madej they 
 show that the Mexican Government is unable to repress 
 them. This inability, as this Government has had occasion 
 in the past to say, may excuse the failure to check the 
 outrages complained of, but it only makes stronger the 
 duty of the United States to prevent them, for if the 
 Government of Mexico can not protect the lives and 
 property of Americans, exposed to attack from Mexicans, 
 
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 
 
 20 
 
 NOTE OF THE SECEETAEY OF SI 
 
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 the Government of the United States is in duty bound, 
 so far as it can, to do so. 
 
 In conclusion, the Mexican Government invites the 
 United States to support its " assurances of friendship 
 with real and effective acts " which " can be no other 
 than the immediate withdrawal of the American troops." 
 For the reasons I have herein fully set forth, this 
 request of the de facto Government can not now be enter- 
 tained. The United States has not sought the duty 
 which has been forced upon it of pursuing bandits who 
 under fundamental principles of municipal and inter- 
 national law, ought to be pursued and arrested and pun- 
 ished by Mexican authorities. Whenever Mexico will 
 assume and effectively exercise that responsibility the 
 United States, as it has many times before publicly de- 
 clared, will be glad to have this obligation fulfilled by 
 the de facto Government of Mexico. If, on the contrary, 
 the de facto Government is pleased to ignore this obliga- 
 tion and to believe that " in case of a refusal to retire 
 these troops there is no further recourse than to defqnd 
 its territory by an appeal to arms," the Government of 
 the United States would surely be lacking in sincerity 
 and friendship if it did not frankly impress upon the 
 de facto Government that the execution of this threat 
 will lead to the gravest consequences. "While this Gov- 
 ernment would deeply regret such a result, it cannot 
 recede from its settled determination to maintain its 
 national rights and to perform its full duty in prevent- 
 ing further invasions of the territory of the United 
 States and in removing the peril which Americans along 
 the international boundary have borne so long with 
 patience and forebearance. 
 
 Accept, etc., 
 
 Robert Lansing. 
 
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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 
 
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