Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, With the Address of the President to Congress December 4, 1917

File No. 812.00/20820

The Secretary of State to the Mexican Ambassador

Department of State,
Washington , April 30, 1917 .

My Dear Mr. Ambassador: I am in receipt of your note of April 20, 1917, with which you enclose a list² of certain arms and other articles which were recently surrendered by Mexican soldiers seeking refuge in the United States to American military authorities at Ruidosa, Texas. You request that the articles in question be turned over to the Mexican consular agent at Presidio, Texas, and that permission be granted for their return to Mexico.

In reply I beg to inform you that I have requested the Secretary of War to instruct the appropriate military authorities to turn over to the Mexican consular agent at Presidio the articles contained in the list transmitted with your note. I have also requested the Secretary of the Treasury to instruct the collector of customs at Presidio to permit the Mexican consular agent at that place to forward the articles mentioned across the border into Mexico.

I am [etc.]

Robert Lansing

2. Not printed.