File No. 412.11/47.
The Secretary of State to the American Ambassador.
Washington, January 8, 1912.
American claims. You will communicate with the Foreign Office informally in the following sense:
[Page 951]“A profound impression has been made in this country by news of Mexico’s settlement of Chinese claims arising from the Torreon massacre. There is much criticism of this Government for what appears to those not familiar with the facts to be its failure to secure a settlement of American claims, particularly those resulting from the killing and wounding of American citizens on American soil at Douglas, Arizona, and El Paso, Texas.
“As is well known, this Government, desiring to embarrass as little as possible the Mexican Government in its present situation, has urged that all American claims should go before the specially established Mexican Claims Commission, even including the claims above ‘specified although these stand on a peculiar footing different from ‘that of any other claims against the Mexican Government since they involve a technical violation of American territory by Mexican forces.
“The Department has always desired and still desires to avoid making diplomatic representations regarding the Agua Prieta and Juárez incidents, but it now finds it necessary to bring these cases informally to the attention of the Mexican Government with a view to hastening the hearing thereof and the early allowance of a generous indemnity to all those injured at Douglas or El Paso and to the families of those who were killed there. Prompt attention to this matter by the Mexican Government would probably prevent congressional action here and so forestall the embarrassments that might be caused to both Governments by the agitation referred to.”
Inform the Department of the attitude of the Mexican Government and state whether French, English, Spanish, and German claims are now being settled diplomatically or by reference to the Commission.
Regarding the killing at Alamo of American citizens, and referring to previous correspondence relative thereto, ascertain whether the promised fresh investigation has been completed; and say that this matter is also pressing here and that the information received by the Department indicates that the reports furnished the Mexican Government by its subordinate officers directly concerned in the matter are entirely erroneous, the Americans having been wantonly murdered; in view of all of which, the Department confidently expects that early steps will be taken to punish those guilty of committing the outrage and that the families of the murdered men will be properly indemnified.