File No. 312.41/187.
Vice Consul Simpich to the Secretary of State.
Nogales, February 28, 1914.
Referring to the Department’s telegram of February 24 addressed to me at Cananea. I am now in receipt of a reply from General Carranza, reading as follows:
Replying to the unofficial representation which you made to me yesterday in the name of the Department of State of the United States I have to inform you as follows:
I have already on the other occasions informed you, in order that you may communicate it to your Government, that in order to enable the executive power under my charge to attend to representations relative to foreigners [Page 857] residing in this country within the territory under the jurisdiction of Constitutionalist authorities that these presentations must be made by representatives duly authorized by their respective Governments and communicated directly to me as supreme chief of the Constitutionalist army through the Department of Foreign Affairs attached to the executive power. Therefore, in order to be consistent with my policy as above outlined, I wish to inform you that I shall be only too pleased to consider any representations made in the case of the British subject William Benton provided of course that they be made directly to me by a representative of the British Government.
With reference to this case and in order to show the spirit of justice which animates the Constitutional Government, I think it advisable to repeat here what I have already told you and other authorities of the United States and stated publicly through the press: The Constitutionalist Government recognizes the right of all foreigners as provided for by the Decree of May 13, 1913, to claim losses and damages already suffered by them or which they may continue to suffer during the present civil strife; that is, since February 19, 1913, until the restoration of constitutional order in Mexico. The above is evidenced by your honorable Secretary of State, Mr. William Jennings Bryan, who does me justice in his second telegram of yesterday, addressed to you, wherein he appreciates my efforts in endeavoring to protect the lives and property of foreigners inasmuch as I have always respected in my character as supreme chief of the Constitutionalist Army and enforced respect for the life and properties of foreigners living in the republic who have strictly complied with their obligations as neutrals.
I wish, however, to call especially to your attention in order that you may so inform your Government that yours is the first direct representation made to me in the Benton case since all the representations made so far have been made to other authorities of the Constitutionalist Government who of course have felt obliged to treat of the affair although I am the supreme chief of the Constitutionalist Army—according o the Declaration of Guadalupe of March 26, 1913—and it is therefore only to me, as I have repeatedly stated on various occasions, that foreign Governments or their representative should address communications regarding matters of international character.
Although the Secretary of State declares that if in various cases he has addressed the local authorities it has been for the purpose of obtaining an immediate action in these instances I think it appropriate that you make known to your Government that all questions that relate to its nationals ought to be addressed to this Office of the first chief of the Constitutionalist Army who will take up with the subordinate authorities those matters which cause such representations to be made for the purpose of deciding and ordering how they shall proceed.
V. Carranza,
First Chief of the Constitutionalist Army.
I have to inform the Department that at the moment this letter was given me, a copy was also given out for publication by Carranza’s secretary. Original Spanish text will be mailed the Department.