File No. 312.52/267.
The Secretary of State to Ambassador Willard.
Washington, May 12, 1914, 6 p.m.
Your May 11. In order that you may have a general idea of the Department’s efforts in connection with the protection of the lives and property of Spaniards, Department’s telegram to the American Consul, Monterey, dated April 27, 6 p.m., is quoted below:
The Department feels the keenest interest in the treatment that will be accorded to the Spanish by the Constitutionalists. When Villa took Chihuahua the deportation order allowing Spaniards ten days to depart was taken advantage of on the morning of the fourth day and all Spaniards, except those who are said to have been executed at the order of the Military Commander at Chihuahua, left for El Paso.
Villa confiscated their property to the value it is said of several million dollars.
Immediately after this deportation order had been given by Villa, the Department ordered the Consular Agent at Torreon, George C. Carothers, who was visiting in Texas, and who was understood to have considerable influence [Page 812] with Villa, to proceed to El Paso and endeavor to secure a suspension of the deportation order. He was unsuccessful in this. From that time until the fall of Torreon the Department offered repeated suggestions to Constitutionalist authorities regarding the inexpediency of permitting to be applied to any other foreigners the treatment which was imposed upon the Spaniards at Chihuahua.
The fact that after all of these carefully prepared instructions, which we have reason to believe were conscientiously and opportunely presented to the Constitutionalist authorities, they deported the Spaniards from Torreon, and have not, until this date, permitted any to return, causes this Government to look with grave concern upon the fate of Spaniards in Monterey.
You will use your supremest efforts to prevent the deportation or unjust treatment of any foreigners in Monterey.
Monterey was taken by the Constitutionalists about April 24, since which time the Department has not been informed of the deportation of any Spaniards. You may assure the Government to which you are accredited that while the Department will gladly exert its utmost diplomatic pressure in order to secure the greatest possible protection to Spaniards and their property, it does not, at this time, consider intervention in Mexico wise or necessary.