File No. 812.00/16217.
The Confidential Agency of the Provisional Government to the Secretary of State.
[The following communication was received at the Department of State on Sept. 17, 1915, in an envelope bearing the stamp of the Confidential Agency of the Provisional Government of Mexico.]
Mr. Miguel Diaz Lombardo, Minister of Foreign Affairs at Chihuahua, has wired the Confidential Agency the following self-explanatory communication:
Mr. Enrique C.
Llorente,
Washington, D. C.
Referring to your telegram of the 11th instant. In my opinion Carranza is endeavoring to deliberately mislead the diplomatic representatives of the American republics who have sought to bring about the peace conference.
In the first place, Carranza boasts of an exaggerated patriotism, making it understood that the discreet and friendly suggestions of these distinguished diplomats constitute an offense against our national sovereignty despite the conclusive declarations made by the Governments of Brazil and Argentina. In reality what Carranza desires to do is to avoid any discussion which might reach the public knowledge, which would plainly demonstrate that justice and reason are on our side, proving also that Carranza is lacking in legitimate authority to assume the executive power of the nation, as he has pretended to do and which he still affects to exercise, without physical control.
Carranza omits to say in his note that precisely one year ago, with the object of putting an end to the disorder prevalent in the capital of the Republic, brought on by reason of his own weakness as a ruler, Generals Villa and Obregon proposed to him that, in accordance with articles 5 and 6 of the Plan of Guadalupe, he should assume the Provisional Presidency, appointing a cabinet as required by law, composed of ministers and not of mere subordinates. Furthermore it was proposed that he should reform the judicial problem and call election, inasmuch as the triumph over the reactionary régime was complete, the Federal Army dissolved, and the country in readiness to enter upon a state of peace. Indeed, there was nothing to oppose the restoration of legal [Page 752] order, as referred to in the above-mentioned Plan of Guadalupe. Had Carranza followed that Plan, which serves as a platform for the revolution, and endeavored to establish a constitutional government, the country would have been saved from the present struggle.
Carranza neglects to disclose in his note that the military convention of last year was called by him; that it met in Mexico City; that the Division of the North took no part in the deliberations; and that the Convention decided to transfer its deliberations to the city of Aguascalientes, where it would be joined by the delegates of that Division. Therefore what Carranza calls the “lamentable spectacle of the convention at Aguascalientes” was the result of a decision reached by his own generals, without being influenced by the chiefs of the Division of the North.
Carranza also omits to add that he presented his resignation as First Chief of the Constitutionalist Forces charged with the executive power of the nation, to the convention at Mexico City and afterwards to the Convention at Aguascalientes, expressly recognizing by these acts the sovereignty of the assembly to determine his status as executive.
Carranza also prudently refrains from alluding to the fact that his separation from the executive power which44 assumed was resolved with practical unanimity by the44 that is to say, by his own generals and governors.
It is plain, therefore, that Carranza44 really the rebel, and hence lacks legal44 govern the country. In respect to the44
Abusing in this manner the benevolent sentiments entertained toward Mexico by the other American republics and their anxiety to see order restored throughout Mexico, Carranza invites their diplomatic representatives to journey to the frontier to meet him to discuss matters of an international nature affecting Mexico and other nations with no other object in reality than to create an impression at home and abroad that his government is a constituted government possessing genuine prestige. His conduct departs from established rules because on every occasion of a faction claiming to be a de facto government having appealed to any nations for recognition, it has sent to the latter an accredited representative as confidential agent or has availed itself of some other intermediaty [sic] to make suitable representations. But never has a faction had the presumption to suggest that the government from whom recognition was sought should itself, or by means of delegates, attend and confer with the faction seeking recognition. The proceeding of Carranza seems, therefore, most extraordinary, and I much doubt that the learned diplomats whom he has addressed will submit to a proposal reversing all rules of procedure, inasmuch as a conference of the character proposed would possess no other object than the recognition of Carranza; indeed, a reference to any other question would be regarded only as premature.
Will the Government of the United States and those of Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, Uruguay and Guatemala consent to send representatives to an unrecognized faction claiming the attributes of government, whose existence is not based on the slightest semblance of legality and which has no assurances of support by the force of public opinion or by unchallenged military preponderance? I believe not.
Sept. 16th, 1915.
Note.—At the meeting of the Conference on September 18 (see next paper) the Conferees had before them, besides Carranza’s reply of September 10, and the earlier ones of Villa, Zapata, Liprente, Pacheco, Palafox, Baz and Borrego, and the statement by the Government of Oaxaca (see ante), responses from the following:
[Page 753]carrancistas.
(All of whom refer the matter wholly to Carranza.)
| Generals: | File number. |
| Aguilar, Cándido; commanding in Vera Cruz | 812.00/15921 |
| Caballero, Luis; commanding in Tamaulipas | 15925 |
| Calles, P. Elias; commanding in Sonora | 15782 |
| Dieguez, M. M.; commanding in the West | 16341 |
| Espinosa, Francisco A., Jefe de armas of Tampico | 15925 |
| Garza Reynaldo | 15974 |
| Lárraga, Manuel C.; commanding in Chapulhuacanate | 16421 |
| Muñóz, Mateo; commanding in San Bias | 16424 |
| Nafarrate, E. P.; commanding in Tamaulipas | 15966 |
| Obregón, Alvaro, Commander in chief in the North | 15846 |
| Ricaut, O.; commanding at Nuevo Laredo | 15820 |
| Trevino, Jacinto B., Commanding in the Northeast | 15863 |
| Governors of States: | |
| Berlanga, M. Aguirre, Guadalajara | 16341 |
| De la Garza, Gen. Pablo A., Nuevo Leon | 15899 |
| Diaz Simon, Guerrero | 16472 |
| Figueroa R., Zacatecas | 15861 |
| Gavira, G., San Luis Potosí | 16108 |
| Rodriguez Gutierrez, Manuel, Sinaloa | 16045 |
| Siurob, Col. José, Guanajuato | 15998 |
| Triana, Martín, Aguascalientes | 15865 |
| Mayors: | |
| Lopez, Alejandro, Matamoros | 15966 |
| Zepeda, Felipe, Nuevo Laredo | 15870 |
conventionists.
(Who refer the matter to Villa except as otherwise indicated.)
[Page 754]| Members of Villa’s Cabinet and subordinates: | |
| Bordes Mangel, Gen. F.; Chief Clerk Interior Department | 15990 |
| Castelazo, J. B.; Subsecretary of Justice | 15914 |
| De la Garza Cárdenas, Dr. Luis; Secretary of Interior | 15916 |
| Diaz Lombardo, Miguel; Minister for Foreign Affairs | 15932 |
| Escudero, Francisco; Secretary of the Treasury | 15880 |
| Ibáñez, Enrique M.; Subsecretary of Fomento | 15914 |
| Perez Rivera, Antonio; Subsecretary of Foreign Relations | 15915 |
| Tejeda, Rafael; Subsecretary of the Treasury | 15918 |
| Terrazas, Silvestre; Secretary of State | 15914 |
| * Ex-President Roque Gonzalez Garza | 15914 |
| Generals: | |
| Acosta, Julio; Chief of arms in Guerrero | 16388 |
| Almeida, Carlos; commanding at Durango | 16062 |
| * Angeles, Felipe; commanding in the North | 15855 |
| * Castillo Corzo,——; commanding at Chiapas | 16226 |
| Chao, Manuel; commanding in Parral district | 16062 |
| * Cruz Dominguez,——; commanding in Torreon | 16177 |
| Delgado José | 16388 |
| Firerro Rodolfo | 16126 |
| Gonzalez J. Herón | |
| * Hernandez, Rosalio C.; Chief of operations in Coahuila | 15896 |
| Limon, Roberto; Jefe de armas at Chihuahua | 15891 |
| Luna Gilberto | |
| Ochoa, Manuel; commanding at Casas Grandes | 15895 |
| * Ornelas, Porfirio; commanding at Ojinaga | 15886 |
| Ornelas, Tomás; commanding at Ciudad Juarez | 15862 |
| * Rodriguez, José R | 15917 |
| Santibáñez, Arturo; 2d Chief in the Southwest | 15914 |
| Silva, J. A. de O. Marario; commanding at Piedras Negras | 15874 |
| * Villegas, Albino | 15890 |
| Other military officers: | |
| Angeles, Col. J. A., confiscation officer | 15990 |
| Blanco, O. P., contralmirante | 15914 |
| * De las Muñecas, J., military inspector | 16335 |
| Mendoza, Crescendo, Jefe de armas at Villa Ahumada | 15895 |
| Ortega, Antonio, comodoro | 15914 |
| * Terrazas, Col. Joaquin | 15843 |
| Torres, Ignacio, comodoro | 15914 |
| Governors of States: | |
| Avila, Fidel, Chihuahua | 15914 |
| * Cantú, Esteban, Col., Baja California | 15825 |
| Diaz, Gen. Benito, Aguascal entes (ex-Governor) | 16126 |
| * Maytorena, Gen. José M., Sonora | 15847 |
| * Pereyra, Orestes, Coahuila | 15859 |
| * Riveros, F., Sinaloa (ex-Governor) | 15894 |
| Mayors: | |
| Faudoa. J. N., Ciudad Jimenez | 15990 |
| * Mendiola, Col. Jesús S., Piedras Negras | 15845 |
| Millan, L. O., Guerrero | 15970 |
| Montfort, —, Ciudad Juarez | 15921 |
| Ornelas, Col. R., Chihuahua | 15893 |
| Sanmiguel, R., Casas Grandes | 16062 |
* Accepts as Conventionist, without referring the matter to Villa.