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. 812.00/2825.

The Acting Secretary of State to the Mexican Ambassador.

No. 121.]

Department of State,
Washington, February 26, 1912.

Excellency: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your excellency’s note No. 1041, of the 16th instant,¹ written in pursuance of telegraphic instructions from your Government, in which you request this Government to give a precise explanation as to the passage of 25 American soldiers across the frontier at Ciudad Juárez and into Mexican territory.

In reply I have the honor to say that this Government desires to express to you its sincere regret for this unfortunate occurrence and to request that your excellency will be good enough to convey this expression to the Mexican Government

The full details of this untoward incident are not now available, but a recital of the facts as they are at present known will be sufficient, it is believed, to satisfy your excellency’s Government in its desires for an explanation. It appears that on the morning of the 15th instant, Lieutenant Feild and 19 men of the Eighteenth Infantry were ordered to proceed to the Santa Fé Street Bridge, in El Paso, to relieve a detachment already stationed there. In carrying out these orders Lieutenant Feild started for his destination in a street-railway car. The route of the car line is south on Stanton Street, across the Stanton Bridge, and into Ciudad Juarez, where it turns to come north to Santa Fé Bridge and the American side. Being ignorant of the topography of El Paso and the route of the car line, and assuming that he was entitled to ride all the way to his destination, Lieutenant Feild did not heed the notification of the corporal stationed at the Stanton Street Bridge that he should dismount and walk to the Santa Fé Bridge, and so remained in the car and thus crossed into Mexico. Colonel Steever, who is in command of the United States forces at El Paso, has made an appropriate apology to the Mexican consul at El Paso for the error of Lieutenant Feild, who has been subjected to the action of a court-martial and will be suitably punished for his unfortunate action.

In conclusion I have the honor to again express to your excellency the regret of this Government and to say that it is hoped, in view of the explanation herein made, that the incident may be considered closed.

Accept [etc.]

Huntington Wilson.

1. Not printed. See consul’s telegram from Ciudad Juárez, Feb. 15, second paragraph.