File No. 312.52/104.
George C. Carothers, Consular Agent, to the Secretary of State.
Sir: I have the honor to report that I received your telegram dated the 13th instant, at Texas City, and at once proceeded here. * * * I arrived in El Paso on the 17th and found Mr. Lazaro de la Garza and Felicitos Villareal, confidential advisers of Villa. I heard through them that two representatives from Carranza, Luis Cabrera and Eliseo Arredondo, were on the way to see Villa, so I decided to wait until their arrival and go down to Chihuahua together. * * * We arrived in Chihuahua on the morning of the 22d. * * * Villa invited me to breakfast with him the next morning, after which I had an hour’s interview with him, principally regarding his treatment of Spaniards. He told me that he had found arms and ammunition in many Spanish houses and that he had positive information that they had aided the Federals in the defense of Chihuahua, both financially and physically, and that he had ordered them all to leave, as he had not the time to investigate each case, but that he was going to permit all those who could prove to him their innocence to return; that he knows very well that the Spaniards throughout Mexico are in sympathy with the Huerta Government assisting it in every way possible, and that it was necessary to “throw a scare into them,” as he expressed it, in order to force those in Mexico City and other places to stop mixing with politics. He said that he has no intention of executing any of them unless he has positive proof of their guilt.
I suggested to him that it would be well to give his prisoners a trial in proper form before executing them, pointing out to him the possibilities of petty revenges on the part of persons who had influence with him to do away with their enemies through false denunciations.
He agreed to this, and I believe that he will be much easier than heretofore, as I am only one of many who have made similar representations to him.
He said to tell you that the only way they can firmly establish a permanent peaceable Government in Mexico is by doing away with the bad elements when they catch them; that frequently his measures appear very harsh to our people, but that they are absolutely necessary, and that when the facts become known to our people they will change their opinion. * * *
I asked him about the Terrazas family, and he told me that he had confiscated everything they had, that they were enemies of his cause, working against him, but that he was not going to execute young [Page 911] Terrazas, whom he is holding in Chihuahua pending some investigation, I do not believe he is in any body danger. * * *
I have [etc.]