File No. 812.00/973A.
The Acting Secretary of State to the American Chargé d’Affaires.
Washington, March 16, 1911—7 p.m.
Urgent. You will hand the following note to the minister for foreign affairs:
Under instructions from his Government, the chargé d’affaires of the United States of America has the honor to refer to the report that the Mexican Government is considering the suspension of certain constitutional guaranties and to allude also to certain statements purporting to come from Mexican official sources on the subject of the status of foreigners who may have been drawn into the insurrection.
How strongly the Government of the United States deprecates illegal activities of American citizens in engaging in or in any way fostering the present insurrection is already well known to the Government of Mexico through the effort thus far taken to prevent such illegal acts and to secure the punishment of those implicated.
In reiterating the assurance of this disposition the Government of the United States has every confidence that the enlightened policy of the Mexican Government is certain spontaneously to adopt in regard to American citizens who may have been drawn into the insurrection the course most consonant with the high principles which animate that Government. The Government of the United States therefore takes it for granted that American citizens who might be taken prisoners as participants in this insurrection will in every case be dealt with only in accordance with the broad principles of equitable justice and humanity, as well as according to the principles of international law which may be involved, and always after due trial and full and fair opportunity to be heard in their defense—indeed, in such manner as has already been generally indicated to the Government of the United States in the, cases of those whose apprehension has been thus far reported.
In this spirit, and with every confidence in Lie disposition of the Government of Mexico in the premises, the chargé d’affaires of the United States has the honor to suggest, in pursuance of his instructions, that appropriate instructions be issued to the proper military officers and officials in the sense indicated. This course would seem peculiarly advisable in view of the great number of American residents in Mexico and particularly in view of the fact, now well known to both Governments, that those insurrectionary movements are already widespread and serious.
This step is suggested to preclude the possibility of any deplorable incident.