File No. 312.41/288.
Consul Letcher to the Secretary of State.
Chihuahua, August 6, 1914.
Sir: Having reference to the Department’s instruction No. 293 of July 10, 1914, relative to the sequestration of the property of the William S. Benton estate by orders of General Villa, I have the [Page 865] honor to report that I addressed a note to Villa on July 20 last in support of a request from British Vice Consul Scobell that the property in reference be delivered to the representative of Mrs. Benton. General Villa replied on July 28 that he had parceled out the lands of the Benton estate to the residents of the village of Santa Maria de Cuevas under the terms of his order of April 20 because the property at that time was abandoned by its owner, but that so soon as the present crop might be harvested the land will be delivered to Mrs. Benton. He also states that Mrs. Benton will be paid the rents accruing from the various parcels of land let to the natives of Santa Maria de Cuevas under his orders.
I am informed by Vice Consul Scobell that the Benton property has never in any sense been abandoned, a native overseer having been continuously in charge since the late William S. Benton went to El Paso last December. For the past several months a British subject, Mr. John Harvey, has been in charge of the place.
Regarding the question of taking the matter up with General Carranza, which is referred to in the second paragraph of the Department’s instruction, I have to state unequivocally that the authority of Carranza is not recognized at the present time in any of the territory dominated by Villa, and to express the opinion that no order by Carranza touching the matter would be respected by Villa.
I have [etc.]