File No. 312.51/69.
The French Chargé d’Affaires to the Secretary of State.
Manchester, July 18, 1914.
Mr. Secretary of State: In reply to the telegram by which I had the honor to ask an audience of President Wilson in regard to the protection of the French in Mexico, your excellency was so good as to inform me that the President was not feeling well at present and would receive me as soon as he could. Your excellency added that the Department of State had taken steps to secure the release of the French citizens imprisoned at Zacatecas at the earliest possible date. With thanks to your excellency for your prompt action in behalf of the French prisoners, I begged you kindly to direct at once an inquiry in the case of two French clergymen, Messrs. Astru and Gilles, Christian Brothers, who, according to a telegram sent to Paris by the Chargé d’Affaires of France in Mexico, had been shot at Zacatecas by Villa’s order.
I am in receipt of the following further particulars about those two crimes, which particulars have also been reported to Paris by our Chargé d’Affaires in Mexico.
The murder of the two Brothers of the French school at Zacatecas was made known in Mexico City by a telegram from two other Brothers of the same school now safe in the United States. Furthermore the news was confirmed by several persons from Zacatecas. It seems that Villa ordered the two Frenchmen shot for giving shelter [Page 871] to Federals but, in reality, because they were not able to pay him the money that had been demanded of them.
The President of the Council, Minister of Foreign Affairs, has asked me immediately to bring to the Federal Government’s notice the heinousness of the double outrage committed by the Constitutionalist leader.
The Government of the Republic indignantly protests against criminal attempts of this character on the person of Frenchmen and reserves to itself the right later to demand all reparations that it may deem necessary.
My Government has instructed me to ask the Federal Government to take energetic action with the Constitutionalists to the end that the lives and property of French residents of Mexico be respected in accordance with the principles of humaneness and of the law of nations.
The murder of the two French clergymen by Villa is made worse by the aggravating circumstance that he had previously subjected two French priests, Messrs. Lagree and Quillere, to barbarous treatment and that the consequences of such proceedings were surely brought to the attention of the Constitutionalist chieftains by the representatives of the Federal Government when Mr. Jusserand applied to your excellency in behalf of those French citizens. (Note of June 20th last.)
Be pleased to accept [etc.]