Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, With the Address of the President to Congress December 8, 1914

File No. 812.00/13730.

The Brazilian Minister to Mexico to the Secretary of State.

[Telegram.]

Brazilian Legation,
Mexico, November 10, 1914.

201. The Acting Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Fabela, now with Carranza at Cordoba, has just transmitted to me by telegraph the following note with request that it be sent to you at once.

Cordoba, November 10, 1914.

Mr. Minister: Referring to your excellency’s note⁶⁸ dated the 2d instant, relative to the evacuation of Vera Cruz by the forces of the United States of America, by order of the First Chief of the Constitutionalist Army in charge of the Executive Power of the Republic I have the honor to inform your excellency as follows:

The Chamber of Commerce and the owners of real estate at the port of Vera Cruz, as well as the employees who have served in various capacities in the administration of the port during the American occupation, have addressed themselves to the First Chief of the Constitutionalist Army in charge of the Executive Power through the Governor and Military Commander of the State, stating that the taxpayers will be satisfied with such decisions of the National Government as may be made by it in reference to the collection of such fiscal dues as have been paid to the American authorities at that port; also that the employees are disposed to submit to such disposition as the Mexican authorities may find suitable.

The First Chief in charge of the Executive Power is now of the attitude assumed by the Chamber of Commerce, the owners of the city real estate and the said employees, and, considering it fit for the welfare of the national interests, has been pleased to issue, under date of the 8th and 9th instant the following decrees:

I, Venustiano Carranza. First Chief of the Constitutionalist Army in charge of the Executive Power of the United Mexican States, using the extraordinary authority in me vested, and considering that the Chamber of Commerce and the majority of owners and administrators of real estate at the port of Vera Cruz have addressed the Executive in my charge renouncing the protection requested in their behalf by the United States Government as a condition precedent to the evacuation of Vera Cruz, stating categorically that they will abide by all the just decisions which the Mexican Government may render in relation to the collection of fiscal dues previously collected by foreign authorities, and because I consider it advantageous to the national interests, have seen fit to decree as follows:

1. On the occupation of Vera Cruz by the Mexican authorities no exaction will be made from the inhabitants of the port of the payment of taxes or any other contributions of Federal character which may have been previously paid to the foreign authorities which temporarily occupied the port.

2. In order to be entitled to the privilege granted by this decree it will be sufficient for the interested persons to present to the Tax Collector’s office the receipts showing that such payments were made to the authorities established during the occupation of Vera Cruz by the American forces.

V. Carranza.

General Headquarters at Cordoba, November 8, 1914.

The second decree reads as follows:

I, Venustiano Carranza, First Chief of the Constitutionalist Army in charge of the Executive Power of the United Mexican States, by virtue of the extraordinary authority in me vested, and considering

• First, That Mexican and foreign employees who have served the authorities established in Vera Cruz during its occupation by American forces, have addressed this First Office of the Constitutionalist Army through the Governor and Military Commanders of this State, declaring of their own accord that they recognize only the National Government as entitled to solve the questions of interior order such as refer to the punishment or pardon of persons who, like themselves, have served the foreign authorities;
• Second, That they expressly declared that they will conform to the decisions that the National Government may render in regard to them, in order that they may not be considered an obstacle to the eminently patriotic act of obtaining a speedy evacuation of Vera Cruz; and
• Third, That the spontaneous and patriotic attitude of said employees has made them deserving of amnesty for such penalties as they might have incurred—

I have seen fit to issue the following decree:

Sole Article. General amnesty is hereby granted to all persons who have served as employees in the several branches of the public administration that has exercised de facto control during the temporary occupation of Vera Cruz by American forces.

V. Carranza.

General Headquarters at Cordoba, November 9, 1914.

General Candido Aguilar, as Military Governor of the State of Vera Cruz, has today issued the following decree:

That the Government in my charge is obligated to extend its protection to such persons as have paid the fiscal dues in the port of Vera Cruz to the American authorities, and such protection should extend to the collection, a second time, of such dues as have been paid, considering that a large majority of the residents of said port, recognizing that the Mexican Government is the only one that ought to protect them, place themselves under its protection as an act of pure patriotism. I have therefore seen fit to decree as follows:

1. Upon the evacuation of Vera Cruz by the American forces and its occupation by the Mexican authorities, no exaction will be made from the inhabitants of the port for either municipal or State dues that have been previously paid by them to the foreign authorities who occupied the port.

2. In order to enjoy the benefits of this decree it will suffice to present to the Collectors’ offices the receipts showing the payments made to the functionaries of the administration that had control of affairs during the American occupation.

General C. Aguilar.

Cordoba, November 10, 1914

In view of the fact that the Mexican Government has issued the decrees which I have had the honor to transcribe to you above, the causes pointed out by the Government of the United States of America for the continued occupation of Vera Cruz have disappeared.

In consequence, the First Chief of the Constitutional Army in charge of the Executive of the Union trusts that, as offered in your note of November 2, the Government of the United States, of America will not delay any longer the evacuation of Vera Cruz, and will proceed at once to evacuate the port. I have [etc.]

Isidbo Fabela.

Cardoso de Oliveira

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68. In pursuance of Department’s instructions No. 311 of November 1, 10 p.m.