File No. 812.00/450.
The American Ambassador
to the Secretary of State.
[Extract.]
American Embassy,
Mexico, November 15,
1910.
No. 245.]
Sir: [The first part of this despatch relates
the dispersal by the police of public meetings, November 12; the closing
of certain places of amusement, professional schools and the university;
instructions given to consuls; anonymous letters received and handed to
chief of police; letters received from American citizens approving
attitude of embassy and replies thereto.]
Yesterday I visited the President for the purpose of enlisting his
cooperation in modifying the tone of the more violent portion of the
press, notably El Pais and El Diario del Hogar, and following the
discussion of this matter had a most interesting and profitable
conversation with him, the substance of which is transmitted herewith in
the form of a memorandum.
I refrain from an attempt to analyze the prevailing situation here,
because at this moment any opinion might be misleading. I confine myself
to referring to my special and confidential despatch to Mr. Knox of the
31st of October last, which in its conclusions anticipated in a very
large measure the events which have recently occurred.
I have [etc.],
[Inclosure—Memorandum—Extract.]
Having brought to the attention of the President the great source of
annoyance caused by the continued publication in El Pais of articles
of a violent character, commenting on the recent disturbances
brought about by the lynching of Antonio Rodríguez, and asked him to
use his good offices toward suppressing these articles, the
President * * * said that he did not expect any further
demonstrations; that the affair was now practically ended, and that
for this reason he felt that any publications which insist upon
keeping
[Page 360]
the matter before
the public eye ought to be strongly reprimanded and forced to
discontinue a policy with which the Government is not in accord. He
further stated that the real cause of the disturbance was not the
anti-American sentiments of the people, but that a number of
politicians adverse to the Government had taken advantage of the
unfortunate affair which happened in Texas to excite young students
and men of the-laboring classes in order to discredit the Government
by such disturbances as occurred here during the past week. He said
that some of the leaders of the anti-Government party were the first
to mingle with the students and called their attention to the Texas
incident. That Madero and Flores Magón are openly buying arms and
ammunition in the United States without being in the least molested
by the authorities, and that unless the American Government prevents
these men from making an open revolutionary propaganda against the
Mexican Government and accumulation of arms and ammunition a more
serious disturbance might be expected. * * * The President urged the
ambassador to cooperate with him in securing the good offices of the
American Government toward preventing an unlawful propaganda against
his Government in the United States. He said * * * that Ambassador
De la Barra had instructions from him to bring all of the above
matters to the attention of President Taft as soon as he [President
Taft] returns from Panama, but that he would very much appreciate it
if the ambassador here would also render him his assistance toward
securing such action as the American Government may be willing to
take in the matter.
