File No. 312.11/1299.
The American Ambassador to
the Secretary of State.
No. 1906.]
American Embassy,
Mexico,
March 14, 1913.
My Dear Mr. Bryan: I have the honor to
transmit herewith, for your information in connection with my No. 1901,
a copy of a note addressed by me on February 24, 1913, to General
Huerta, Provisional
[Page 778]
President
of Mexico, calling his special attention to the Embassy’s note of
September 15, 1912, addressed to the Mexican Government.
I remain [etc]
[Inclosure.]
The American Ambassador
to General Huerta.
Mexico,
February 24, 1913.
Personal and unofficial.
Dear General Huerta: On September 15th,
1912, I addressed, under instructions of my Government, a very
strong and vigorous protest to Your Excellency’s Government,
relative to many old, some continued and more fresh cases which were
causing my Government the greatest distress and the adjustment of
which it seemed unable to secure by any other methods than severe,
drastic and probably what appeared to be unrestrained language. So
grave had become the situation developed by the then Mexican
administration’s refusal, either through impotency, unfriendliness
or lack of proper conception of the amity and probity which should
govern the exchanges between contiguous and apparently friendly
republics, that relations were strained almost to the breaking point
and an extremely grave situation would have resulted from the
carelessness, cynicism and superciliousness of the administration
which has gone out of power. A further precipitation of this
situation was prevented only by the fact that the administration of
President Taft hesitated to assume the responsibility of further
action in view of its remaining short life.
I am now in receipt of instructions from Washington on the threshold
of Your Excellency’s administration to secure without fail or delay
an acceptance in principle of the demands made in our note of
September 15th, to which must be added the settlement of the
Colorado River, the Chamizal case and the question of a definite
arrangement of all claims for damages to American life and property,
not in accordance with the generally accepted principles of
international law, but in accordance with the sentiments of
friendship which exists between these two republics, which
sentiments we would be ready to recognize under similar
circumstances. I therefore beg Your Excellency to immediately give
consideration to these grave matters and enable me through
instructions to Mr. de la Barra to secure final and definite
settlement of all grievances of which we are complaining, at the
same time advising you that we are willing to adjust in similar
manner any complaints which the Mexican Government has against the
American Government. As a friend of Mexico I earnestly desire that
these matters may be adjusted before the new administration at
Washington assumes office, in order that it may be met with a clear
evidence of Mexico’s desire to discharge its duties of friendship
towards us.
With sentiments [etc.]
