File No. 812.00/11151.
Vice Consul Simpich to the Secretary of State.
Held personal conference with Carranza to-day explaining contents of Department’s written instructions of March 2136 and after cabinet discussion Carranza made a statement which at my request was reduced to a written memorandum; in order that Department may interpret for itself exact meaning of Carranza’s reply I am transmitting original Spanish text of his communication which was submitted to me unsigned and is as follows:
[Translation.]
I acknowledge with many thanks the trouble you have taken in coming hither to show me the letter written you by the Secretary of State, Mr. Bryan, in regard to the international cases growing out of the present civil war. As you know, the Department at Washington has communicated with me through yourself and the American Consul at Hermosillo to make two classes of representation to me, both unofficial, the one concerning American citizens, the other non-American foreigners. As you are aware, I have entertained the representations he saw fit to make when nationals of his country were concerned, but have not entertained the Department of State’s representations made through you when some other class of foreigners is concerned, the said representations however being used by me as information to redress and avoid the wrongs to which they relate. In his letter to you about the injuries suffered at the Desengaño mine at Guanacevi, Secretary Bryan tells you that the countries which have recognized the Huerta Government can not apply to me since every nation can have but one diplomatic corps accredited to one other and that consequently those countries which have recognized Huerta can not make representations to me. This is clearly my understanding and I have never claimed that those Governments accredit [Page 860] diplomatic representatives to me. But those same nations may very well, under international law and diplomatic usage, have unofficial intercourse with me in my capacity of Commander-in-Chief of the Constitutionalist Army which dominates a large part of the Nation. This unofficial manner may be availed of by the aforesaid countries through their representatives accredited in Washington or through their Consuls residing in Mexican territory controlled by the forces under my command, and if there should be no foreign consuls in the territory controlled by the Constitutionalist forces as pointed out by the Honorable Secretary Bryan in connection with the Desengaño mine case, then the Governments concerned may very well authorize other persons, who may well be Consuls of the United States, to present their unofficial representations in the name of those Governments, the power being properly drawn up. As I truly do not see what objection foreign nations can have to that method of communicating with me, all the representations I have received or may receive hereafter dealing with non-American foreigners do and will serve the sole purpose of bringing to my notice, if not already reported by the Mexican authorities, the fact that this or that foreigner has suffered some injury and of my issuing appropriate orders that all individual guarantees be extended to foreigners, punishment, when occasion arises, being inflicted on the responsible parties who, in violation of the law and in disregard of their duty and my orders should ever so slightly molest foreigners, nor would there be any need of waiting for any representation, for it is one of my purposes that justice and the law shall be respected to the utmost in my country. Deeming this a suitable opportunity, I wish further to say to you that if the same foreigners or their relatives will address their personal representations to me and bespeak my protection of their lives and interests, they will be immediately attended to without any need of their Governments officially or unofficially intervening.
Am unofficially and confidentially informed certain Carranza’s influential advisers disagree with his attitude on this question, holding time is inopportune for raising technical objection as to receiving representation from American Consuls on behalf of other than American interests; that present position has been assumed perhaps for political effect it may have on his constituents. Carranza now plan’s start to-morrow, March 12, for march into Chihuahua.