Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, With the Annual Message of the President Transmitted to Congress December 7, 1911

File No. 812.00/1691.

The Secretary of State to the Mexican Ambassador.

The Department of State has the honor to acknowledge the receipt of the Mexican Embassy’s memorandum of the 9th instant, stating that, according to reports from the consul of Mexico at El Paso, Tex., several shots were fired on the 8th instant at the Mexican side from the American side, and stating that, with reserve of such rectifications or confirmations as may result from the investigation which the Mexican Government is conducting, the embassy desires to call the attention of the Department of State to the gravity of the statement made by the consul of Mexico at El Paso.

The Department of State has sent to the Attorney General and the Secretary of War, for investigation and report, copies of the Mexican Embassy’s memorandum.

The matter will be most carefully investigated, though the Department feels quite sure that in view of the extraordinary precautions taken at El Paso it will be found that there has been some mistake in the matter.

Department of State,
Washington, May 13, 1911.