File No. 812.00/21453
The Secretary of State to Ambassador Fletcher
Washington, November 15, 1917.
Department has just been informed officially that a force of Villistas, estimated one thousand strong, is attacking Ojinaga. It is feared that this attack may endanger American life and property in Texas. Press reports indicate desperate fighting going on, bullets falling on American side, and scores of Mexicans crossing into United States, fearing massacre.
It is desired that you communicate foregoing to appropriate Mexican authorities, and impress upon them the urgent necessity of providing adequate protection against border raids and attacks. If you see no objection thereto, you may say that it is the opinion of this Government that the Mexican Government should immediately concentrate its energies to suppress bandits along border, and that campaign in oil fields may well be postponed for this and other reasons until danger of frontier raids by bandits has been entirely eliminated, and border made safe to citizens of both countries.