File No. 812.00/18574
The Secretary of State to Special Representative Rodgers
Washington, June 25, 1916, 1 p.m.
168. Mr. Arredondo yesterday delivered to this Government the following communication: [Here follows note of Mr. Arredondo of June 24, 1916.]
You are hereby instructed to hand to the Minister of Foreign Relations of the de facto Government the following:
The Government of the United States can put no other construction upon the communication handed to the Secretary of State of the United States on the 24th of June by Mr. Arredondo, under instruction of your Government, than that it is intended as a formal avowal of deliberately hostile action against the forces of the United States now in Mexico, and of the purpose to attack them without provocation whenever they move from their present position in pursuance of the objects for which they were sent there, notwithstanding the fact that those objects not only involve no unfriendly intention towards the Government and people of Mexico, but are on the contrary, intended only to assist that Government in protecting itself and the territory and people of the United States against irresponsible and insurgent bands of rebel marauders.
I am instructed, therefore, by my Government to demand the immediate release of the prisoners taken in the encounter at Carrizal, together with any property of the United States taken with them, and to inform you that the Government of the United States expects an early statement from your Government as to the course of action it wishes the Government of the United States to understand it has determined upon, and that it also expects that this statement be made through the usual diplomatic channels, and not through subordinate military commanders.