File No. 812.00/1458.
The Secretary of State to the American Ambassador.
Washington, December 11, 1911.
Sir: With reference to your dispatch No. 479 of April 19, 1911, with which you transmitted a note bearing date of April 17, 1911, from the minister for foreign affairs of Mexico, wherein he makes certain allegations and comments concerning the battle of Agua Prieta of April 13, the Department has prepared a memorandum in refutation, which is inclosed herewith.1 This memorandum is based upon the investigations instituted by the military authorities of the United States at Douglas in May last. All the documents referred to are on file, but it is hoped that as the record in the case is quite large it may not be necessary to have any copies made.
You are instructed when handing the original memorandum to the Mexican minister for foreign affairs to state to him that it is presented in the interest of truth and in order that there may be no misapprehension on the part of his Government of what really occurred at Agua Prieta on April 13 and 17, 1911, nor as to this Government’s opinion regarding those incidents.
Should the minister for foreign affairs express surprise at the delay in replying to Mr. de la Barra’s note of April 17, you may say that the information contained in the memorandum has been in the Department’s possession since last spring, but that inasmuch as it [Page 524] was desired to submit the memorandum solely in the interest of truth and without any intention of causing embarrassment to the Government of Mexico, the Department has awaited what it considered was a more opportune moment for presenting the evidence.
If you find it convenient or desirable you may also state that the battles of Agua Prieta do not constitute the only instances of violation of American territory by Mexicans during the recent revolution, as the Department has received reports of other occurrences of a similar though less serious nature.
You will have in mind in presenting this matter that while it is the Department’s disposition to refrain from reviving a discussion the elements of which doubtless arose from misinformation as to the happenings incident to the abnormal and turbulent conditions existing at the time, this Government feels constrained to request the Government of Mexico to take due note of its absolute dissent from the allegations made and the views expressed by the then minister for foreign affairs.
I am, etc.,
- Not printed. Consists of lengthy testimony, all tending to refute the Mexican allegations.↩