Office of the Historian

Mr. Hay to Mr. Clayton.

Department of State,
Washington, February 9, 1903.
No. 839.]

Sir: Referring to your No. 998a of June 27, 1901, reporting on the arrest and imprisonment in Mexico of American citizens employed as train hands on railways in that country, I have now to ask you to report any additional cases that may have arisen since the date of that report, and the present status of those heretofore reported.

I inclose herewith for your information copies of a letter and its inclosure from the governor of Michigan, which have occasioned this instruction.

I am, etc.,

John Hay.
[Inclosure.]

Mr. Bliss to Mr. Hay.

State of Michigan, Executive Office,
Lansing, January 30, 1903.

Sir: I am in receipt of the inclosed communication from the manager and secretary of the Brotherhood Relief Committee, Kansas City, Mo. Will you kindly inform me what is your understanding of the condition recited therein?

Yours, respectfully,

A. T. Bliss, Governor.
[Subinclosure.]

Mr. Adams to Governor Bliss.

Brotherhood Relief Committee,
Kansas City Mo.,, January 28, 1903.

Honorable Sir: The above heading represents the Brotherhood Relief Committee, composed of a member from each of the four great railroad organizations.

This committee has been organized for the purpose of bettering the condition of our American citizens in Old Mexico. The conditions there have probably been brought to your notice heretofore, but I will venture to say that less indorsement and less backing in numbers, than submitted for your inspection at the present time. We represent the working class of people in actual figures of 600,000 men. The condition of our fellow-workmen in the Mexican Republic as brought to the notice of this committee is disgraceful and pitiable to say the least, and this committee has been formed in order that those unfortunates may receive help, and that some kind of adjustment and agreement may be reached with the Government of Old Mexico, so that in the future our American trainmen will not be discriminated against and held unjustly without trial.

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There are (we believe) now confined in the jails and prisons of Old Mexico a number of our trainmen who, through no fault of their own, have been unfortunate to the extent of being one of a crew connected with an accident wherein a Mexican subject has been injured or killed. Some of them, we understand, have been confined there for years without trial or bond. We are told if the crew be English subjects they are at no time denied bond, and their trial is speedy and just, invariably resulting in an acquittal.

The action of this committee has been indorsed by such men as Secretary Hay; James Reed, mayor of Kansas City, Mo.; Mayor Craddock, Kansas City, Kans.; Mayor Greene, Argentine, Kans.; Hon. T. T. Crittenden, ex-governor of Missouri and ex-United States consul to old Mexico; Hon. James L. Slay den, member of Committee on Military Affairs, and others of like worth too numerous to mention, who appreciate that a peaceful investigation such as we intend will be fruitful of better and more friendly results than a warlike attitude should it be initiated by our Congressional representatives. We therefore, representatives of the railroad organizations of the entire country, earnestly request your indorsement of our action, thereby giving us confidence to proceed with a cause which will ultimately affect every citizen in the United States.

Any financial assistance you may see fit to contribute will be gratefully accepted. Trusting that we may have an early and favorable reply,

We are, etc.,

Harry H. Adams.

By order of the committee, record No. 17.

  1. See Foreign Relations, 1901, p. 408.↩