File No. 812.00/18364
General Funston to the Secretary of War
1557. I wish again to call attention of War Department to attitude of the Mexican de facto Government authorities toward activities of Luis de la Rosa and Aniceto Pisano.
The files of State and War Departments and Department of Justice are loaded with information about these notorious men who are the leading spirits of the so-called Plan of San Diego20 and who were responsible for the bloody raids into Texas last fall with all the loss of life and property involved.
I reported repeatedly that the Carranza commander of the district of Matamoros, General Nafarrate, was assisting these raids in every way in his power and that his officers and men were participating in them. On two occasions Carranza troops in uniform to the number of several hundred covered the retreat of raiders to south side of river and in doing so fought our troops for hours.
These facts were reported. I have been informed by persons claiming to be familiar with the circumstances that Carranza personally had knowledge of what was being done and approved of it. Upon being recognized as head of de facto Government he desired these raids stopped and knowing he could get no support to that end from Nafarrate relieved him from command on immediate border. Pisano and de la Rosa left the border at this time, the Governor of Texas having offered a reward of one thousand dollars for each of them dead or alive, and went to Nafarrate’s new district, the one immediately south of that of Matamoros where they continued their anti-American agitation.
De la Rosa was an almost constant personal companion of Nafarrate, I having talked with as many as a dozen Americans who know both men and who have seen them together on numerous occasions in the past six months. Both Pisano and de la Rosa traveled openly on the trains and were seen frequently on streets of Tampico, Victoria and Monterey in company of officers of de facto Government troops, among whom they were very popular as the well known heads of Plan of San Diego and as principals in recent Texas raids.
Pisano ventured back into Matamoros district and was taken prisoner by new commander thereof, General Ricaut, who after a few weeks was directed to bring him to Querétaro where Carranza ordered his release, although last fall he and Governor Luis Caballero of Tamaulipas had personally assured Governor Ferguson of Texas that if they could apprehend either of the two they would either order them shot immediately or remand them to Governor of Texas to answer charges of murder against them.
Both men as above stated have been active recently recruiting for new raids and have done so absolutely openly.
The above facts are notorious and are familiar to practically all informed persons on the lower border and in Tamaulipas. They show conclusively and in most glaring manner either the bad faith [Page 569] of Carranza or his unwillingness to oppose one of his subordinate generals, Nafarrate.
Special agent Rodgers of Department of Justice and Vice Consul Randolph Robertson of Monterey, the latter now in Washington, can give many facts in case from personal knowledge.
The necessary force having been recruited, organized and armed are now approaching our border about four hundred strong but we cannot tell where in a distance of a hundred and fifty miles they may attempt to cross river.
It may be that our movements of troops showing that we have foreknowledge will cause postponement of raid but menace will still exist.
I feel I should state frankly that a resumption of these raids marked with all the savage cruelties and barbarities of the lower border raids of last fall will rouse the people of that region to fury and cause them to cross the river in large numbers regardless of wishes of the Government and take drastic action. They came perilously near doing it last fall.
I have contented myself with stating facts and do not believe it to be in my province to suggest remedy further than to say that Carranza personally is to blame for the whole situation for reasons above stated.