Ambassador Thompson to the Secretary of State.
Mexico, March 12, 1906.
Sir: In my conversation with the President in his private home on the evening of the 8th instant, mentioned in my dispatch No. 2 of the 9th,a he took occasion to speak to me of the troubles with the Indians in the northwestern part of this Republic. He said much trouble had been made by Americans going into the Yaqui Indian districts without escorts, thus endangering their lives, and in the event of loss of life making much trouble for both our Government and his.
In the event of loss of life, he said, false statements had been made to our Government as to the attitude of the Mexican Government toward Americans wishing to enter this Indian country. He assured me that the Mexican Government at all times has been and is ready to furnish military escorts to foreigners wishing to enter that country, and it is so understood, and those entering without such escorts have known and must know well that it is done with great danger.
As was reported to the department by Mr. McCreery in his dispatch No. 213, of February 13th last, for a short period of time—a little over two months, the period ending a few days since, this last information personally given me by the President, although as yet no other official notice of the discontinuance of the order has been received—there has been an order in force issued by the President that no foreigner should denounce mining claims in this Indian country, the intent of the order being to keep foreigners out.
In this period of time the Government has employed itself in capturing every Indian possible who is known to have shed blood, either native or foreign, and each and every one of these Indians have been shot. All whom are suspected of having shed blood, either native or foreign, but against whom there is not sufficient evidence to satisfy the Government, have been deported to the State of Yucatan, and are there in service of one sort or another, in a way, as I understand it, under government supervision.
The President expressed himself to the effect that our Government had been troubled enough with the Apaches to understand what it is to deal with the Yaquis, both the same character of Indians, and indicated his feeling to the effect that men who enter the Indian districts without an escort, which can always be had for the asking, are not entitled in the event of loss of any character to sufficient consideration [Page 1142] from their Government to procure for them governmental interference in adjusting personal claims.
Our conversation covered many subjects, but this is the one he seemed to want to put to the front, all the others being of no special interest to the department. It seemed to me clearly his desire that I make known to the Washington Government his views on troubles growing out of what seems to him to be an unwarranted invasion by foreigners of a known dangerous district without the military escort which is always available for the asking. While he did not suggest it, it seems likely to me that the desire of miners to enter this Indian country without military escorts is great in order that their movements may not be known, and because of this desire they are willing to assume the danger rather than accept the escort. In view of the situation, as set forth by the President, it would seem as if his sentiments as expressed to me are not unjustifiable.
I have, etc.,