File No. 812.00/17865
Mr. Arredondo to the Secretary of State
Lic. Eliseo Arredondo,
Washington, D. C.
[Marginal note by the Secretary of State: “Handed me by Mr. Arredondo, 2.45 p.m., Apr. 13, ’16. R. L.”]
Inform the Honorable Secretary Lansing that to-day at 1 o’clock p.m. a column of 140 American soldiers entered Parral. José de la Luz Herrera, mayor of the town, immediately called the attention of the commander of the column to the inadvisability of his entry. The soldiers thereupon retired from the town, but while they were doing so the people protested, although the mayor and military chiefs endeavored to restrain them by speeches in order to avoid friction. Owing to the imprudence of an individual who fired his rifle, disorder and further firing occurred, in which an American was killed and several townspeople were wounded by [Page 514] American soldiers. The military were able with Constitutionalist troops to keep the people in Maturana from following the American troops.
From the first the Mexican Government informed the American Government that it would be imprudent to send troops into the towns, as friction might at any time arise between them and the people and our troops. The American Government agreed to this, giving orders to abstain from occupying towns. The Mexican Government laments what has occurred, which it could not prevent, and insists on the necessity of the American Government’s retiring its troops from our territory, so that no motive may exist for altering the good and cordial relations which both countries are pledged to preserve.