File No. 312.52/217.
Ambassador Willard to the Secretary of State.
Madrid, April 8, 1914.
A personal note from the Minister for Foreign Affairs, which is being fully communicated to the Department by mail, earnestly requests me to do everything possible with the Department to secure protection of Spaniards in the part of Mexico controlled by Villa and Carranza and particularly near Torreon whence Minister for Foreign Affairs states they have been ordered expelled by Villa, and that Carranza refuses the request of American representatives on behalf of Spaniards for the revocation of Villa’s order. While expressing thanks for American action on behalf of Spaniards Minister for Foreign Affairs nevertheless characterizes position of Spaniards in North Mexico as strange and untenable. States that the rebellion derives its principle strength from the attitude of the United States; declares that rebels act in a way unknown to civilized warfare, and says that he is at a loss to know how to secure protection of Spaniards. Will the Department please telegraph me the strongest assurances it is able to give that everything within the scope of its powers is being done to secure protection of Spaniards and Spanish interests and at the same time renew as determinedly as possible its efforts to secure revocation of the Villa order of expulsion which is the direct cause of the anxiety and solicitude of the Minister for Foreign Affairs.