File No. 312.52/519.
[Inclosure 1.]
Consul Canada
to General Carranza.
American Consulate,
Vera Cruz,
January 24,
1915.
Your Excellency: I am apprised by
cable that the Department of State at Washington has been
informed by the Spanish Embassy there that seven Spaniards were
recently killed by the Constitutionalist forces on the Mexican
Railroad at the station of Esperanza and that another Spaniard
lost his life at the station of San Marcos, and also that it is
reported from Puebla that more than fifty Spaniards are
imprisoned and that Spaniards and their properties in the States
of Vera Cruz, Puebla and Tlaxcala are menaced.
At the request of the Spanish Embassy my Government has
instructed me to bring the foregoing immediately to your
personal attention and to point out to you plainly the utmost
importance of speedy, effective action for the complete
[Page 1034]
protection of the
lives of Spanish subjects and the prevention of summary action
against those reported to be in prison; and that if the
Constitutionalists take action such as it is reported they are
to take, the indignation of mankind will certainly follow and
the consequences must lie at the door of those responsible.
I am further instructed to telegraph the result of my
representations as soon as possible.
With renewed [etc.]
[Inclosure 2—Translation.]
The Acting Secretary of
Foreign Relations to Consul Canada.
No. 246.]
Foreign Office,
Vera Cruz,
January 26,
1915.
Mr. Consul: Your note of the 24th of
this month, personally informs Citizen Venustiano Carranza,
First Chief of the Constitutionalist Army that:
The Department of State in Washington has been informed by the Spanish Embassy in
said capital that seven Spaniards were recently shot by
the Constitutionalist forces in the station of
Esperanza, on the line of the Mexican Railroad, and that
another Spaniard lost his life at the station of San
Marcos; and also that news is had
from Puebla according to which fifty Spaniards are held
as prisoners and that the properties and lives of
Spaniards in the States of Vera Cruz, Puebla and
Tlaxcala are menaced. At the request of the Spanish
Embassy, my Government has given me instructions to
bring the foregoing to your personal attention, pointing
out clearly the utmost importance of rapid and effective
action for the complete protection of the lives of
Spanish subjects and the suspension of summary action
against those who are said to be
under arrest; and also that if the Constitutionalists
adopt the measures which it is said they are disposed to
adopt, they will no doubt provoke the indignation of
humanity and those responsible will have to assume the
consequence.
The First Chief of the Constitutionalist Army, in charge of the
Executive Power of the Mexican Republic, has sent to this
Department of State your note which contains the representation
of the American Government made at the request of the Ambassador
of Spain at Washington; and, in accord with the First Chief of
the Constitutionalist Army in charge of the Executive Power of
the Union, I have the honor to answer you as follows:
This Department of State will request General Alvaro Obregon,
Chief of the military operations of the States of Vera Cruz,
Puebla and Tlaxcala, to state whether the reports furnished to
the Department of State in Washington by the Ambassador of
Spain, relative to the supposed execution of seven Spaniards by
Constitutionalist forces at the station of Esperanza and the
death of another Spaniard at the station of San Marcos, are true
or untrue; inasmuch as from the text of your note, it cannot be
seen whether the Ambassador of Spain affirms the action as being
strictly true, since, in a vague manner, the Department of State
in Washington only says that it has been informed of this
supposed fact (I underscore in your note the phrase has been informed) without indicating the
source from which this information originated, nor the slightest
logical foundation which upholds it.
In your same note it is stated “news is
had from the Puebla according to which fifty Spaniards
are held as prisoners and that the properties and lives of
Spaniards in the States of Veracruz, Puebla and Tlaxcala are
menced.”
Notwithstanding that the origin of this news (I also underscore
the phrase news is had) is not pointed
out, and that not only is it not definitely asserted, but not
even remotely indicated; notwithstanding that it is not stated
how and why the properties and lives of Spaniards residing in
those three States of the Federation are menaced—which gives
rise to the belief that it is a matter of the so-called news of
the yellow press and of the enemies of Constitutionalism,
unworthy of belief because of their lamentable vagueness—reports
will be requested of the Governors of the States mentioned, in
order that this Department may know if really, as it is said, fifty Spaniards are under arrest
at Puebla and the reason why they are; and when once concrete
data are obtained, this matter, as well as all similar thereto,
will be handled through the proper channels.
Lastly, I have the honor to answer the final portion of your
note, advising you that Constitutionalism has not adopted, does
not adopt, and will not adopt measures other than those inspired
by justice, even when it is stated to the contrary by
imputations without proof whatsoever, from a suspected and
hidden origin; and justice, Mr. Consul, has never provoked the
indignation of humanity.
Please accept [etc.]
