Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, With the Address of the President to Congress December 8, 1914
File No. 812.00/12395.
Secretary Dodge to the Secretary of State.
the United States, Near the Mediators,
Niagara Falls, N. Y., July 1, 1914.
Sir: I have the honor to enclose to you herewith copies of the English text of the protocols of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Plenary Conferences held, respectively, on May 20, May 23, and June 12 last, which have now been received from the Mediators. Summaries of these protocols with the more important portions of the text have been forwarded by me to the Department immediately after each Conference took place and the Department has also been fully informed of them through the Commissioners’ telegrams.
While adding that a copy of the protocol of the Fourth Plenary Conference,45 the last so far held, will be forwarded as soon as it is received, I have the honor [etc.]
Protocols of the Conferences held by the Delegates of the United States of America and of the United Mexican States in connection with the Mediation offered by the Republics of Argentina, Brazil and Chile.
protocol no. 1.
At the City of Niagara Falls, Province of Ontario, Dominion of Canada, in the Conference Hall in the Clifton Hotel, at 3 p.m., the twentieth day of May, nineteen hundred and fourteen, there met, for the purposes of the mediation offered by the Governments of Argentina, Brazil and Chile, in the conflict pending between the United States of America and the United Mexican States, the representatives of both parties, under the presidency of the Plenipotentiary Mediators, to wit:
For the United States of America: Messrs. Joseph R. Lamar, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States; Frederick W. Lehmann; and the Secretary, Mr. H. Percival Dodge.
For the United Mexican States: Messrs. Emilio Rabasa, Agustin Rodriguez, Luis Elguero; and the Secretary, Mr. Rafael Elguero.
And the Plenipotentiary Mediators: The Brazilian Ambassador, Domicio da Gama; and the Argentine Minister, Romulo S. Naón.
The Ambassador of Brazil stated that, due to unforeseen causes, the Minister of Chile was unable to attend this first meeting and that he had expressly [Page 551] requested that the Delegates be informed of his wish that the inaugural session should not be postponed on that account.
Thereupon the Brazilian Ambassador said:
[Text of the speech.]
Upon the conclusion of the address of the Brazilian Ambassador, Joseph R. Lamar, Delegate for the United States of America, took the floor stating that his country was following with close attention the initiative of the Mediators, whose task awakened a just sentiment of sympathy, inasmuch as the earnest efforts of the Latin-American Republics were fully appreciated.
Emilio Rabasa, Delegate for the United Mexican States, made reply in his turn and stated that, prompted by a sentiment which was both personal to him and to his Government, he wished to make the words of the Ambassador of Brazil his own; that the aspiration of this Conference responded in its general principles to the existing world sentiment in favor of peace; that on behalf of the Mexican Nation and Government it was incumbent upon him to thank the Mediators for their noble initiative, and he closed giving assurance of the earnest wishes of the Delegation of which he is the head, to solve the present conflict and arrive at an amicable agreement.
Thereupon the Brazilian Ambassador announced to the Delegates that the following had been appointed the Secretaries of the Mediation: Alberto de Ipanema Moreira, First Secretary of the Brazilian Embassy; Manuel Salinas, First Secretary of the Legation of Chile, and Enrique Gil, First Secretary of Legation ad hoc of Argentina.
Thereupon there was submitted to the Delegates the order of business to govern the deliberations of the Conference, and which, upon approval thereof, was ordered spread on the minutes. The order of business reads as follows:
[Order of business.]
The Brazilian Ambassador stated that it had been agreed that the work of the Mediation should be developed at private sessions between the Mediators and the Delegates and that a full session should be called only in accordance with the order of business to which reference has been made.
Before signing these minutes Mr. Lamar requested that the following statement be made a part thereof:
In the minutes of this plenary conference Messrs. Emilio Rabasa, Agustin Rodriguez, Luis Elguero, and Rafael Elguero, Secretary, are described as the “Representatives of the United Mexican States.” The Government that we represent has not recognized as the Government of Mexico the authorities by whom the gentlemen named have been accredited to this Conference and, while pleased and ready at all times to meet them, we can not consistently with the attitude maintained by our Government accept them as Representatives of the United Mexican States.
With this reservation and explanation, we are prepared to sign this and future minutes and protocols.
It was resolved to consider the above statement as forming a part of the minutes.
- Domicio da Gama.
- F. W. Lehmann.
- Ed’o Suarez Mujica.
- Emilio Rabasa.
- R. S. Naón.
- Ag’n Rodriguez.
- J. R. Lamae.
- Luis Elgueeo.
- Enrique Gil, Sec.
- A. de Ipanema Moreira, Sec.
- N. Salinas, Jr., Sec.
protocol no. 2.
At the City of Niagara Falls, Province of Ontario, Dominion of Canada, in the Conference Hall in Clifton Hotel, at 6:20 p.m., the twenty-third day of May, nineteen hundred and fourteen, there met for the purposes of the mediation offered by the Governments of Argentina, Brazil and Chile, in the conflict pending between the United States of America and the United Mexican States, the representatives of both sides under the presidency of the Plenipotentiary Mediators, to wit:
For the United States of America: Messrs. Joseph R. Lamar, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States; Frederick W. Lehmann; and the Secretary, Mr. H. Percival Dodge.
For the United Mexican States: Messrs. Emilio Rabasa, Agustin Rodriguez, Luis Elguero, and the Secretary, Mr. Rafael Elguero.
And the Plenipotentiary Mediators: The Brazilian Ambassador, Domicio da Gama; the Argentine Minister, Romulo S. Naón, and the Chilean Minister, [Page 552] Eduardo Suarez Mujica; the Secretaries of the Mediation acting as the Secretaries of the Conference.
The Brazilian Ambassador stated that this full session had been called at the request of the Mexican Delegation which desired to place before the Plenipotentiary Mediators and the Delegates of the United States a communication from their Government; but that before hearing them, it was necessary to submit to the Conference the minutes of the last session, which was done, and after they had been read in Spanish and English they were approved without objection.
The floor having been granted to the Mexican Delegation, Mr. Rabasa stated: That the Mexican Delegation had requested the Plenipotentiary Mediators to call this full session for the purpose of making a declaration, in compliance with instructions received from their Government. Before doing so, they wished to make some explanation. During the course of the various conversations which the Mexican Delegates have had with the Plenipotentiary Mediators ideas have been extensively interchanged as to the best means of arriving at the solution sought; and among them the possibility of constituting a provisional government was also discussed, which idea appeared during said conversations to be of great value in assuring said solution. For this reason the Delegation thought it should consult its Government on this point, and it did so, expressing an opinion favorable thereto. The Government of Mexico replied at once, transmitting the following declaration of President Huerta:
President Huerta declares that if his separation from power is an element which can lead to a solution of the pending international questions and to the pacification of Mexioc, he is ready to resign, because his sole purpose in continuing in power has been to assure peace, according to the solemn promise he made to the Nation; but he presents as an indispensable condition for his resignation, that it actually result in peace by the establishment of a stable government capable of combining the necessary elements of public opinion, a condition without the fulfillment of which he cannot abandon the government, nor will he do so.
President Huerta, who takes this action guided by a spontaneous sentiment of patriotism and not due to the suggestion of any foreign agent, directed the Mexican Delegation to make this declaration at the first full session held, as soon as it was opened. Inasmuch as it had not been heretofore possible to have a conference, and as the fulfillment of the instructions of President Huerta was being delayed, the Mexican Delegation was compelled to request the Plenipotentiary Mediators to call a full session in order to make this formal declaration.
Delegate Lamar then requested to be heard and was given the floor in order to state that the Representatives of the American Government had heard with great interest the declarations made by Mr. Rabasa with regard to the decision of General Huerta and that, understanding that this decision was conditional as it depended on the establishment of a stable government, he desired to know the form in which the end which said condition implied could be attained.
Delegate Rabasa then said that he had really not considered details of procedure, because the Mexican Delegates understand that, following the method proposed by the Mediation and accepted by the Conference, such details should be considered at private conversations with the Plenipotentiary Mediators, and he trusts that by this means they may have an opportunity to meet the wishes of the American Delegation.
Replying to another question of Delegate Lamar, as to whether the declaration made at this session by the Mexican Delegation could be made public or should be considered as of confidential nature, Delegate Rabasa added that he would desire that it be kept absolutely confidential, which wish Delegate Lehmann said would be strictly observed.
Thereupon, at the suggestion of the Plenipotentiary Mediators, it was resolved that, in order to insure the greatest exactness possible in the minutes, the Secretaries of the American and Mexican Delegations should deliver to the Secretaries of the Mediation the exact text of the remarks made at each session by their respective Delegates. The meeting adjourned at 7 p.m. In testimony whereof the following signatures were affixed:
- Domicto da Gama.
- Romulo S. Naón.
- J. R. Lamar.
- Emilio Rabasa.
- F. H. Lehmann.
- Ag’n. Rodríguez.
- Ed’o Suárez Mujica.
- Luis Elguero.
- A. de Ipanema Moreira.
- Enrique Gil.
- N. Salinas, Jr.
protocol no. 3.
At the City of Niagara Falls, Province of Ontario, Dominion of Canada, in the Conference Hall in the Clifton Hotel, at 4 p.m., the twelfth day of June, nineteen hundred and fourteen, there met, for the purposes of the mediation offered by the Governments of Argentina, Brazil and Chile, in the conflict pending between the United States of America and the United Mexican States, the representatives of both parties, under the Presidency of the Plenipotentiary Mediators, to wit:
For the United States of America: Messrs. Joseph R. Lamar, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States; Frederick W. Lehmann; and the Secretary, Mr. H. Percival Dodge.
For the United Mexican States: Messrs. Emilio Rabasa, Agustin Rodriguez. Luis Elguero; and the Secretary, Mr. Rafael Elguero.
And the Plenipotentiary Mediators: The Brazilian Ambassador, Domicio da Gama; the Argentine Minister, Romulo S. Naán, and the Chilean Minister, Eduardo Suárez Mujica; the Secretaries of the Mediation acting as Secretaries of the Conference.
The Brazilian Ambassador stated that this full session had been called for the purpose of protocolizing the decision reached between the Representatives accredited to the Mediation, regarding the first point of the plan of pacification under consideration; but that before proceeding with such protocolization, the Minutes of the last session should be submitted to the Conference.
These minutes having been read in Spanish and English, they were approved without remarks.
Thereupon the form of the resolution to be protocolized was read as drawn in English by Mr. Lamar, Delegate of the United States of America, as follows:
A Provisional Government for the United Mexican States, constituted as hereinafter provided, shall be recognized at Mexico City at noon on the_____day of_______________________1914 from which time it shall exercise governmental powers until the inauguration of a Constitutional President.
The version of this form in Spanish gave rise to a brief discussion, being finally drawn as follows:
El dia_______________de 1914, a las doce meridiano se constituirá y reconocera en la Ciudad de México un Gobierno Provisorio organizado en la forma que mas adelante so indica y que ejercera desde ese momento y hasta la inauguración de un Presidente Constitutional el Poder Público de la Nación.
The resolution as evidenced by the forms transcribed above was declared as protocolized, and the session adjourned at 4.50 p.m.
In testimony whereof the following signatures were affixed:
- Domicio da Gama.
- Edó Suárez Mujica.
- R. S. Naón.
- Agn. RodrIguez.
- Emilio Rabasa.
- Luis Elguero.
- J. R. Lamar.
- F. W. Lehmann.
- Enrique Gil, Sec.
- A de Ipanema Moreira, Sec.
- N. Salinas, Jr., Sec.
- Not printed; a summary of the proceedings and the text of Protocol No. 4 are to be found with Mr. Dodge’s No. 24 of June 25, ante.↩