File No. 812.0144/111
The Secretary of War ( Baker) to the Secretary of State
Dear Mr. Secretary: I have your letter of July 10, in which you point out that many complaints have been made to the State Department by the Mexican Ambassador concerning the invasion of Mexican territory by American soldiers and their firing across the border.
I agree with you wholly as to the necessity of our having no avoidable friction with the Mexicans who live along the border, but if Mexicans cross our border and commit raids, I can not agree that they should not be pursued by our patrols even if they flee across the Mexican border. With regard to the question of preventing soldiers firing across the border into Mexico without specific orders in each case from the War Department, it would be most undesirable from a military standpoint to instruct our men that when they are being shot at themselves from the Mexican border they were not to return the fire, but to ask the War Department for permission to do so.
Very truly yours,