File No. 812.00/843.
[Untitled]
Washington, March 9, 1911.
Excellency: I have the honor to inclose herewith a copy of a letter from the Attorney General transmitting a copy of a report from Deputy United States Marshal E. P. Warren to the United States marshal, western district of Texas, in which Mr. Warren reports that during a battle between Mexican troops and insurgents at Mulato, on the 7th and 8th ultimo, the Mexican troops deliberately fired on American troops who were patrolling the American side of the river in order to prevent any violation of the neutrality laws, and wounded a boy and a pack horse.
The facts being as stated, it is unnecessary to point out to your excellency that the firing upon American troops on the American side of the border by the Mexican troops on the Mexican side constitutes a most grave violation not only of the principles of international law and of the sovereignty of the United States, but also of that traditional friendliness which exists between the Governments of the United States and Mexico. While the Government of the United States must assume that the soldiers in question acted in this case not only without authority, but in disobedience and defiance of what must have been their positive orders, yet it feels that it can not overlook the incident and that it must expect that the Government of Mexico will at once disavow the action and take all steps necessary to make certain that no further acts of this sort shall occur, since, if repeated, they would inevitably lead to collisions between the troops of the two countries, which there would be the strongest reasons to deplore.
Accept, etc.,