Señor Cayetano Romero to Mr. Foster.
Washington, January, 5, 1893. (Received January 6.)
My Dear Mr. Foster: I have received your note of yesterday, whereby you are pleased to acknowledge the receipt of that which I addressed to you on the 1st instant, inclosing a clipping from a newspaper which contained a statement of the number of troops that the Mexican Government has on the right bank of the Rio Grande, and to inform me, in reply, that from information received by you from the War Department it appears that the number of United States soldiers now in the vicinity of that river is about 1,800.
You are pleased to apprise me, moreover, referring to a communication of mine of previous date, in which I stated that some Mexican soldiers were held as prisoners at San Ygnacio, Tex., that your Department has received a dispatch from the U. S. consul-general at Nuevo Laredo, in which he says that the authorities at San Ignacio declare that those soldiers have remained in Texas not only because they prefer to live in this country, but because they are afraid of being punished if they return to Mexico.
I this day transmit a copy of your aforesaid note to Mr. Mariscal for his information, and, hoping that the War Department of this country will be pleased to act upon the suggestion which I took the liberty to make in my note of the 28th ultimo, viz, that a military officer of rank should make an investigation with regard to the conflicting rumors that have been in circulation relative to the Mexican soldiers who are held at San Ignacio, Tex., as the best means of eliciting the facts in the case.
I am, etc.,