Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, With the Address of the President to Congress December 7, 1915
File No. 812.00/14534.
The Confidential Agent of the Provisional (Conventionist) Government of Mexico to the Secretary of State.
Excellency: For the information of the Department of State, I have the honor to enclose herewith translations of the manifesto of General Villa, dated January 31 last, giving reasons for his assumption of political power in the zone occupied by his forces; the ratification of his appointment as General-in-Chief of Operations by the Sovereign Convention; and his decree creating three temporary departments of government.
Please accept [etc.]
Ratification of General Villa’s appointment as Commander-in-Chief.
The President of the Sovereign Revolutionary Convention, charged with the Executive Power of the United Mexican States, by virtue of an Act of the same, taking into consideration the usefulness and patriotic services rendered by you on behalf of the revolutionary cause at times of great moment, has seen fit to ratify your appointment as General-in-Chief of the Convention’s forces in its military operations, and hopes that the country may always rely on your valuable and efficient aid in carrying to a happy conclusion the redeeming principles of the Revolution and such dispositions as the Sovereign Convention may see fit to decree.
This I have the honor to communicate to you for your information and consequent effects.
Manifesto to the Mexican Nation by General Francisco Villa.
Aguascalientes, January 31, 1915.
The lamentable obstinacy of Venustiano Carranza who, violating the Plan of Guadalupe, and attempting to usurp for an indefinite period the office of First Chief of the Constitutionalist Army, clothed with an array of powers never before assumed by the most absolute dictator, gave cause to his repudiation by the Division of the North, and the determination of the latter that the governors of states and generals of the army who had fought for the restoration of constitutional order, suspended through the treason of Huerta, should constitute themselves a Sovereign Convention, to meet in this city, to which place its deliberations had been transferred from the capital of the Republic where it had begun its labors by virtue of the summons issued, by Carranza, but without participation of either the generals of the Division of the North or that of the South.
Among the first acts of the Convention was to declare itself sovereign, as well as to give to the assembly at Aguascalientes the character of being a “continuation,” as a political entity, of the Convention of Mexico City of October 1 last. * * *
The First Chief of the Constitutionalist Army charged with the Executive Power of the nation, acknowledged the authority of the Convention, to whom he submitted his resignation, and some of whose orders he obeyed. * * *
[Page 663]The Sovereign Convention decreed the dismissal of Carranza as First Chief of the Constitutionalist Army charged with the Executive Power, as well as of those generals commanding the army corps and divisions. In place of the latter, brigades were created as subdivisions of the army, and it was determined that they should be directly under the orders of the Minister of War. It also proceeded to elect a provisional president, to remain in power until the Convention, united with the Army of Liberation [Zapatistas] and meeting at the capital of the Republic, might designate the person to discharge the duties of Chief Magistrate during the preconstitutional period.
These acts of the Convention, including the elevation of General Eulalio Gutierrez to the office of Provisional President, were dictated almost unanimously; notwithstanding this, and in spite of their oaths of honor, some of the military chiefs, foreseeing the end of their personal ambitions because of the selection of General Gutierrez, abandoned the Convention and, in accord with Carranza, conspired to disavow its acts and made preparations for armed resistance. The obstinacy of Carranza and the disloyalty of these generals caused the Convention to declare the First Chief and those who followed his banner to be rebels, and inspired Gutierrez, pursuant to the authority vested in him as President of the Republic, to appoint me General-in-Chief of the Convention, for the purpose of commencing operations against them. In that character, and with public opinion throughout the country supporting the Sovereign Convention as the only legitimate authority, I led my troops in a veritably triumphant march from this city to the capital of the Republic, which we now hold in fraternal union with the Army of the South [Army of Liberation].
* * * Unfortunately, within the Provisional Government there arose political ambitions prompted by intriguing politicians, who, taking advantage of the weakness of character of the Provisional President, and of the youth and inexperience of the Minister of War, persuaded them to disavow the Convention, the supervision of which seemed alarming, or which they feared might not ratify the designation of General Gutierrez as President, thus depriving them of their influence in the political affairs of the nation.
The history of Mexico will bitterly censure the flight of Provisional President Gutierrez, who, in disavowing the Convention and abandoning the capital of the Republic, left it undefended and exposed to disorder and pillage, inspiring its inhabitants with panic. Furthermore, he left it without funds with which to pay the troops and public employees, taking funds from the national Treasury to the sum of 10,500,000 pesos. Fortunately, the troops of the Convention who, being deceived, had evacuated the city of Mexico, returned upon discovering the disloyalty of the ex-President and the ministers who had followed him.
Under these difficult circumstances, the presiding officer of the Convention, General Roque Gonzalez Garza, assumed political and military charge of the Federal District, and, efficiently aided by the loyal military chiefs, succeeded in restoring order and afforded guaranties to the inhabitants, of all of which he gave an account to the Convention, which thereupon determined to reassume the executive power of the nation, and to exercise it through its presiding officer, ratifying also my own appointment as Commander-in-Chief of the Army of Operations against those in rebellion.
The defection of the generals who refused to obey the orders of the Convention preferring the weak authority of Carranza who permitted them to satisfy their unrestricted ambitions, and the disloyalty of Gutierrez and his following, compelled the Provisional Government created by the Convention to concentrate its forces in the North, in order to secure a base and safeguard the extensive lines of railway communications.
It has been deemed necessary to concentrate the forces of the South in the States of Morelos, Mexico, Puebla, and Guerrero; and General Gonzalez Garza, present Chief of the Provisional Government, has therefore resolved to evacuate the capital of the Republic and to transfer his headquarters to Cuernavaca, so that the Convention, free from all coercion, may carry on in that city the deliberation for which it was constituted, namely to organize the future constitutional government and to guarantee the fruits of the Revolution.
The mobilization of the Convention forces in the North and South has meanwhile temporarily interrupted the lines of communications, between the Provisional [Page 664] Government and the Army under my command, which renders it necessary for me to assume for the time being political authority in the States occupied by my forces, inasmuch as the existence of the National Administration should not be suspended and as the Convention forces are obligated to give protection to the lives and interests of nationals and foreigners.
For that purpose * * * I have determined * * * to create three sections attached to these headquarters, charged with political and administrative matters under my supervision, reserving to myself the direction of military operations.
These sections, or departments, will be located in Chihuahua, but always in communication with headquarters and, when possible, with the Government of the Convention. They will have under their charge: first, matters pertaining to Foreign Relations and Justice; second, Communications and Interior; and third, Finance and Industry. The acts of these departments shall be subject to the ratification of the Provisional Government.
* * * I declare my loyalty to the Government created by the Convention, and will endeavor, with the spirit that animates the Convention, to assist in the reconstruction of the nation in harmony with the national ideals.
Decree of General Villa assuming political power and creating provisional departments of government.
Aguascalientes, February 2, 1915.
Francisco Villa, General-in-chief of the Army of the Convention operating in the North and Center of the Republic, by virtue of the extraordinary powers of a political character that he has been obliged to assume and does hereby assume by reason of the temporary interruption of communications between the Government created by the Sovereign Revolutionary Convention and the zone in which the army under his command is located, and considering that public administration cannot be suspended, has, as Chief of Operations, in accordance with the usages of war recognized by all nations, seen fit to decree the following:
- First: That three departments are hereby constituted in the zone occupied by the forces of the Convention under my command, for the carrying on of official business relating to political and administrative matters: one of these departments to have charge of affairs pertaining to Foreign Relations and Justice; another, of affairs concerning Interior Administration and Communications; and the other, of affairs relating to Finance and Industry.
- Second: Said Departments will have their offices, for the present, in the City of Chihuahua, from where they will communicate with Headquarters and, as soon as possible, with the Provisional Government.
- Third: These Departments, in accord with Headquarters, shall organize the services assigned to them, and shall appoint the personnel of the offices and carry on pertinent business, it being understood, however, that the distribution of their duties is simply of an economic nature, or convenience, because in matters of prime importance they shall all proceed jointly as a unity.
- Fourth: As soon as communication between the Convention Government and the Army under my command is again established, these headquarters will submit to the former, for its ratification, the acts of the above-mentioned Departments.
- Fifth: The following appointments are announced: Miguel Diaz Lombardo, in charge of the Department of Foreign Relations and Justice; Luis de la Garza Cardenas, in charge of the Department of Interior and Communications; and Francisco Escudero, in charge of the Department of Finance and Industry.
- Sixth: Civil and military authorities within the zone under my command will obey all orders issued by said Departments within the scope of their jurisdiction, in accordance with the Federal law providing for the organization of the departments of government.
- Received by the Secretary of State, March 9, 1915.↩