Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, With the Annual Message of the President Transmitted to Congress December 3, 1912
File No. 812.00/4893.
The American Ambassador to the Secretary of State.
Mexico, September 6, 1912.
Sir: Referring to the Department’s telegraphic instruction of September 2, 1 p.m., I have the honor to transmit herewith a copy of my note to the Mexican Minister for Foreign Affairs, and copies of two notes from him, dated September 5, in reply thereto.
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The American Ambassador to the Minister for Foreign Affairs.
Mexico, September 3, 1912.
Mr. Minister: I am instructed in the most urgent way by my Government to submit to your excellency’s Government the following expression of its views relative to the situation now existing on the boundary line between Mexico and the United States resulting from the present revolutionary movement against the established Federal Government. My Government directs me to say that, now that the Federal Government has again established its control over the northern frontier of the Republic, it would view with lively concern a failure to make that control secure, and begs to express the earnest hope that the most active and persistent efforts will be made to prevent the advent of a situation similar to the distressing state of affairs which has existed on the Chihuahua frontier during the rebel occupation of Ciudad Juarez—a state of affairs which not only tends seriously to jeopardize the good relations between the United States and Mexico, but operates as a direct annoyance to the Government of the United States, to the people of the State of Texas, and to many American citizens in the interior of Mexico. Deeply apprehensive of the situation which may develop along that portion of the frontier which is at present infested by irresponsible revolutionary forces, my Government instructs me to most earnestly request that your excellency’s Government shall place at all strategic and now important points along the frontier military garrisons adequate to cope with any untoward incident that may arise. I am directed to say that in the opinion of my Government military garrisons should be placed by your excellency’s Government at the following places and in the following numbers: At Ciudad Juarez, at least 1,500 men; at Aguaprieta, 700; at Naco, 500; at Nogales, 500; at Piedras Negras, 500; at Ojinaga, 500; at Nuevo Laredo, 300; at Mexican, 300; and at Matamoros, 300. I have, moreover, to prefer the request that in addition to these frontier garrisons your excellency’s Government will, for the purposes of affording prompt and adequate protection, place a sufficient number of Federal soldiers in the immediate vicinity of the Mormon colonies in northwestern Chihuahua and in Sonora. In thus advising your excellency of the deep apprehension entertained by my Government relative to the situation on the border and in conveying to your excellency the expression of its opinion relative to the military dispositions necessary to in some measure guarantee protection to life and property, I am directed also to say that my Government will favorably consider a request from your excellency’s Government to permit the passage of Mexican troops, designed for the immediate establishment of these garrisons, across the territory of the United States.
As the note which I am now addressing to your excellency urgently concerns the safety of many American lives and a vast amount of capital invested in property on Mexican soil, I have the honor to request that it may have preferential attention and that your excellency will be good enough to furnish me with a reply within as reasonable a period as may be compatible with proper consideration of the matter, as I have been requested to send a telegraphic reply.
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The Minister for Foreign Affairs to the American Ambassador.
Mexico, D. F., September 5, 1912.
Mr. Ambassador: In reply to your excellency’s note of the 3d instant, I beg to say that my Government has taken note of the ideas of the Government of the United States relative to the situation which exists on the frontier between the two countries resulting from the present disturbances, which, although real, have been exaggerated by the Mexican press and principally by the American newspapers, for the rebels have been dispersed, and it is a natural result that they should have separated and be causing trouble at various points. But this state of affairs will soon disappear, and my Government can not believe that, after the great efforts which it has made to reestablish order and afford guaranties for the lives and property of American citizens and when it is on the point of obtaining the result it has desired—that of restoring peace to the country—the good relations which it maintains with the Government of the United States can be endangered, especially since the disturbances of the moment are the last effort of the rebels in their fight, soon to be subdued.
That my Government has made and is continuing to make constant efforts to reestablish order is a fact which your excellency knows through the good and constant relations which you have with this Department, and your excellency’s Government recognizes this fact in acknowledging in its note that the Mexican Government has regained control of the State of Chihuahua.
In its proposal to guarantee life and property, and giving preferential attention to the situation on the frontier, my Government yesterday gave orders that adequate forces should go to various places, such as Cananea, Nacozari, Aguaprieta, Frontera, Nogales, and Imuris, orders which have already been executed. General Sanjines is marching with one column from Ojitos to the State of Sonora and General Huerta has been directed to occupy with cavalry the district from Aguaje to Palomas.
By express direction of the President I beg to express to your excellency the most sincere thanks of the Mexican Government for the favorable reception on the part of your excellency’s Government which would be given to a request on the part of my Government that our troops might pass over the territory of the United States for the purpose of establishing garrisons at certain points, a request which is not made because the constitution empowers only the Senate to permit the passage of troops outside of the national territory. The Senate is not now in session and its convocation in special session would be a motive of alarm which should be avoided; but my Government believes that the sending of the troops referred to above will bring safety to the region in the north which has been threatened with disturbances.
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The Minister for Foreign Affairs to the American Ambassador.
Mexico, D. F., September 5, 1912.
My Dear Mr. Ambassador: Although it appears from the official note which I have to-day addressed to your excellency that a request for the passage of troops over American territory will not be made, the President has thought it proper to solicit this authorization in order to demonstrate once more the interest which he takes in the protection of the lives and properties of Americans, and to this end he has given the orders for the convocation of the Senate in extraordinary session.
I have also communicated this to the Mexican Ambassador at Washington to the end that the orders necessary to permit the passage of Mexican troops over the territory of Texas and Arizona may be transmitted in the United States.
This measure, as I have said above, is due to the interest taken by the Mexican Government for the lives and properties of Americans and to prevent disagreeable incidents.
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