Mr. Foster to Señor Cayetano Romero.

Sir: I have the honor to say that I hastened to make known to the Secretary of War the contents of Mr. Mariscal’s note of 31st ultimo, left here by you on the 13th instant, in which were communicated certain suggestions on the subject of preventing hostile incursions into Mexico from the Texas border; and I now transmit a copy of a letter giving his views in the matter, which, while they appear to be mainly in accord with those of your Government, indicate the conditions which interfere with the adoption of the proposed expedient of providing for reciprocal crossing of the frontier by troops of both countries.

Accept, etc.,

John W. Foster.
[Inclosure.]

Mr. Elkins to Mr. Foster.

Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 13th instant inclosing for my confidential information a copy of a dispatch from the minister of foreign affairs of the Republic of Mexico, delivered to you by the chargé d’affaires of that Government in this city, in relation to the pursuit of outlaws on the frontier, to which you invite my attention, and especially to the two recommendations made by the minister respecting the movement of troops, concerning which you request the views of the Department at as early a date as practicable.

The communication of the minister was referred to the Major-General Commanding the Army, and I invite attention to the inclosed letter from him, dated the 17th instant, expressing his views on the subject, in which I concur.

The suggestion relative to the disposition of the United States troops and the Mexican troops on the lookout for these outlaws, the Major-General Commanding the Army remarks in his letter, is a timely one, and the suggestion will be conveyed from the headquarters of the Army to the commanding general, Department of Texas, for his guidance.

Very respectfully,

S. B. Elkins,
Secretary of War.

Gen. Schofield to Mr. Elkins.

Sir: Referring to the copy, furnished you by the State Department, of a dispatch from the minister of foreign affairs of the Republic of Mexico to the chargé d’affaires of that Government in this city, and dated December 31, 1892, I have the honor to offer the following suggestions:

Preventive measures have not in any country been found sufficient to always prevent attempts at crime, nor always to prevent some success in such attempts. It can not be hoped to accomplish even so desirable an object as this always without the employment of means largely in excess of those which any government has regarded itself as justifiable in employing.

Considering the physical features of the border country between the United States and Mexico, and the character of a large portion of the population inhabiting that country on either side of the boundary line, it is not strange that the general experience of these and other nations should have found no exception there, and yet the number of successful incursions from the one side to the other of the Rio Grande has in fact been very small, and the damage done not very great. The vigilance of the military forces of the two nations on either side of the river has sufficed to [Page 440] make such lawless attempts very dangerous and unprofitable to the criminal whose robber designs have been only thinly veiled under a pretense of political purpose.

The military force employed by the United States on that frontier has been, and now is, quite as large in proportion to the service required as the aggregate strength of the Army will permit, and it is believed as large as the international obligations of the United States require. It is believed that future attempts at such lawless incursions from Texas into Mexico should be deterred by the pursuit, arrest, and punishment of criminals who have heretofore been engaged in such lawless acts, rather than by a large military force constantly on guard along the Rio Grande, and this for various reasons, among others, the manifest fact that such guarding of the border would do nothing to change the character or purpose of the lawless population in that part of the country on either side of the river, and would make it certain that whenever any other military exigency should cause the troops to be withdrawn these criminal raids into Mexico would immediately be renewed without risk to the criminals. This pursuit and arrest and punishment of those who have thus violated the neutrality laws of the United States devolves primarily upon the civil authorities of the Government, or of the State of Texas. In this work the troops can only aid the United States marshals as a part of their posse.

This leads to the manifest conclusion respecting the suggestion of the Mexican Government, that the troops of either country may, in pursuit of lawless raiders, follow them across the river into the territory of the other country. Since not even the troops of the United States can, independently of the civil authority, make such pursuit in the State of Texas, but must do so in aid of the marshal’s posse, far less would it be possible for the troops of a foreign nation to do the same thing. Indeed, in the arrangement heretofore made between the United States and Mexico for the pursuit of savage Indians across the line, the stipulation was made, it is believed, at the instance of the Mexican Government, that this should only take place in a portion of the country which is wild, mountainous, and uninhabited by civilized people. It would be manifestly impossible for either country to allow the troops of the other to pursue even savage Indians into a territory of the other country inhabited by citizens.

The Mexican minister makes one suggestion which I am happy to appreciate as very timely, namely, that in the disposition of the United States troops on the one side and of the Mexican troops on the other such concert of action may be had between the commanding officers of the two forces as to double the effect, by stationing the Mexican troops at one crossing and those of the United States at another alternately. I will immediately convey to the commanding general, Department of Texas, this suggestion for his guidance.

Very respectfully,

J. M. Schofield,
Major-General Commanding.