File No. 812.00/18703
Vice Consul Brown to the Secretary of State
Mazatlan, June 19, 1916.
Sir: I have the honor to advise that on the 17th of this month a proclamation was issued by Governor Flores of the State of Sinaloa, [Page 579] under orders from the central Carranza Government, stating that war would be declared on the United States of America. This proclamation was taken locally as an actual declaration of war, and many Mexicans sent telegrams to their friends outside of Mazatlan saying that war had been declared on the United States. The populace was greatly excited.
On the morning of the 18th, I visited the commandancia of General Mezta, the military commandant of the city that day, as to information as to this declaration of war, telling him that the United States had declared no hostile intention towards Mexico, and if war was to be declared to inform him that Americans in this district would look to the Mexican authorities for protection until such time that they should leave. He gave all guaranties requested, but the conversation was never finished.
At this moment firing was heard where we were in the direction of the wharf, and in a few minutes a Mexican soldier informed us at the said commandancia that American sailors had landed at Mazatlan to take the city. I immediately left the presence of General Mezta, going immediately to the Consulate. On the way to the Consulate the city was in an uproar, and I was in a quandary as to what to think had happened. I had hardly arrived when the chief of staff of General Mezta, Colonel Guillermo Nelson, came in his automobile to the Consulate door and asked me to accompany him to the wharf as American officers from the Annapolis had landed and he wanted to know the meaning.
I may say in this connection that this very morning an order had been issued by the authorities not allowing communication with the shore by any American man-of-war. I had no knowledge of this until it was too late to advise the commander of the Annapolis. A little after nine in the morning of the 18th the commander of the Annapolis sent a boat in with two officers; this boat was turned back with the advice that no communication was allowed with the shore. This boat took back a copy of this proclamation to the commander, and the commander immediately sent another boat in with the request that the authorities advise the Vice Consul and all Americans who wished to avail themselves of the opportunity to come aboard the Annapolis for refuge. The officers had orders not to land, but upon nearing the wharf were invited to come up on the wharf and talk the matter over, so I am informed by the best authorities. Upon getting on the wharf to talk the matter over, they were immediately arrested and attacked by an infuriated mob of soldiers and civilians. They were protected by a few of the better class of Mexican officers from this mob, and were escorted under guard to the commandancia militar under arrest.
When these officers were taken by officers of the Mexican army, one of whom had invited them to come up on the wharf, the three seamen accompanying the boat from the Annapolis were ordered to get out of the boat also. This they refused to do; the boat pushed off from the wharf, and almost immediately was fired upon by a squad of Mexican soldiers under the same captain who had invited them (the officers) to come up on the wharf. One seaman was wounded in the beginning of the fight; the seamen returned the fire wounding three Mexicans, one of whom, I am informed, died [Page 580] to-day. It is my sad duty to report the death of the wounded seaman.
Upon my arrival at the comandancia with Colonel Nelson, I immediately had a conference with General Mezta asking him to release the officers and impressing upon him the gravity of his act, stating the case of the officers to the best of my ability as they had stated it to me. He treated my interference in this affair with indifference, and was as hostile to me and the officers as if war had really been declared. We agreed to get the statement of the commander of the Annapolis as the first step to secure the release of the said officers. I immediately left the comandancia under an armed escort furnished me by Colonel Nelson for the wharf, took a launch and obtained from Commander Kavanagh of the Annapolis a very concise, direct and diplomatic statement of his side of the affair.
This letter was turned over to Colonel Nelson, of the staff of General Mezta, and we went in search of this General who had betaken himself to his quarters. Upon reading the letter from the Commander of the Annapolis, he also treated this with indifference and refused to release the officers arrested, saying that the matter had been referred to General Carranza, General Obregon, and General Flores and that they would have to reply to his telegram before he would release them. I told him that he had ordered their detention, and that he had the authority to release them but still he refused. Our conversation lasted about an hour. It seemed to me longer, for I knew that if the officers were detained over night their lives would be in even greater peril than ever from the angry mob of soldiers and civilians who had been armed by the authorities. Finally I told General Mezta that if these officers were detained over night that the affair would assume an international significance that both he and his country would regret; moreover that should war be declared on account of this outrage that not only would it be bad for his country but that he personally would suffer from angry Americans. At this remark he turned rather pale, and in a few moments signed the release of the officers, who were immediately put at liberty upon my presenting the order of their release at the commandancia militar.
I must mention the good work done by Colonel Nelson, son of an American, through whose efforts to effect the release of the officers too much credit cannot be given.
I have [etc.]