File No. 812.00/4686.
The Acting Secretary of State to the Secretary of the Navy.
Washington, August 20, 1912.
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge receipt of your letter of the 19th instant1, informing me that in compliance with the request of this Department that a naval vessel be ordered to make a cruise to the west coast of Mexico, the Vicksburg has been substituted for the Denver, which it was originally intended to send, and will proceed as soon as practicable first to the port of Guaymas, there to await further orders.
In response to your request for an expression of opinion as to what special instructions should be given the commander of the Vicksburg, in view of the change that has lately come about in Mexican conditions I have the honor to say that, although the Department thinks the instructions which it was originally requested should be given the Denver should not be materially altered, it would nevertheless be glad to have the commander of the Vicksburg informed that upon arrival at Guaymas he should put himself in touch with the American consular agent at that place and the American Consul at Hermosillo; [Page 826] that in conjunction with them he should carefully observe the local situation, reporting thereon from time to time; and that in case of sudden or great emergency, seriously menacing American life and property, he should take such steps to afford them protection as may commend themselves to his discretion under the circumstances.
For the information of the commander of the Vicksburg, the Department begs to state that the scene of Mexican revolutionary activity seems at the present time to be rapidly shifting to the western section of the country, this movement being most noticeable in the State of Sonora, where two large bodies of rebels in conjunction with the Yaqui Indians have crossed the Yaqui River near Tonichi and are making their way via San Javier and Alamos toward Hermosillo, the capital of Sonora, with the object of capturing it and of later capturing Guaymas. The Consul at Hermosillo reports the general situation to be serious, since there are practically no Government troops with which to oppose this advance.
There are many American interests in the vicinity of Hermosillo and Guaymas, as well as in the Yaqui River valley and elsewhere in Sonora, which would be seriously jeopardized if insurrectionists secure control of Hermosillo and Guaymas and the southern part of Sonora; and it is chiefly for this reason that the Department begs to request that the Vicksburg, after its arrival at Guaymas, shall remain there until the future course of events can be foreseen with more or less certainty and a definite course of action can be outlined.
I have [etc.]
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