File No. 812.00/865.
The Mexican Ambassador to the Secretary of State.
The Embassy of Mexico has positive knowledge that the steamship Sol carried from New York to Galveston 3 cases of arms and 18 of cartridges, forwarded by Mr. E. D. Maurer to the Shelton-Payne Co., of El Paso, and also that the said cases were reshipped on car No. 11812 of the Galveston, Harrisburg & San Antonio Railway.
[Page 411]The war material considered in this memorandum forms part of a stock stored in Brooklyn, consigned to the said Maurer and held by the Bush Terminal Co. Several shipments have already been made by Maurer to the Shelton-Payne Co., of El Paso, which turns these arms and ammunition over to the agents of the rebellion in Mexico, who in turn pass them to Chihuahua, resorting to every means to elude the vigilance of the American authorities.
The secrecy with which those who have taken part in these affairs surround their doings is of itself an indication that the case is not one of legitimate trade transactions, and that they themselves realize the injury they are doing to the Government of a friendly country in thus clearly violating the laws in force in the United States.
The Embassy of Mexico respectfully brings the foregoing facts, to the attention of the Department of State and hopes it will be pleased to direct appropriate measures to prevent the arms and ammunition from Galveston, as well as those that are still in Brooklyn, from reaching the rebels in Chihuahua.
Washington, February 28, 1911.