File No. 812.00/6325a.
The Secretary of State to the American Ambassador.
Washington, February 21, 1913—11 p.m.
25. In view of the statements and tenor of your recent telegrams, the Department is disposed to consider the new Provisional Government as being legally established and to believe that it apparently intends to reestablish peace and order throughout Mexico, and to hope that it has the support of the majority of the Mexican people. It will, however, be evident to those now in responsible control in Mexico that, especially in view of the situation which has prevailed for the past two years or more, this Government must very carefully consider the question of their ability and earnest disposition to comply with the rules of international law and comity, the obligations of treaties, and the general duties to foreigners and foreign governments incidental to international intercourse.
You are instructed, therefore, to say to those seeking recognition as the new Provisional Government that the Government of the United States will be glad to receive assurances that the outstanding questions between this country and Mexico, which, among other things, have done so much to mar the relations between the two Governments, which should be so especially friendly, will be dealt with in a satisfactory manner. These questions and the grievances of this Government against Mexico are set forth in general terms in the Department’s note of September 15, 1912, to which the attention of the new Provisional Government should be invited.
[Page 729]In the interest of definiteness, however, and for the sake of an unequivocal understanding, the Department desires you to say that the questions which it is most necessary and desirable to have dealt with and got out of the way are as follows:
This Government desires settlement of the Tlahualilo controversy at the earliest possible date, either by direct agreement between the Mexican Government and the Tlahualilo Co. or by a submittal of this question to arbitration;
It desires settlement of the question of the Chamizal tract by direct agreement between the two countries;
It desires that the immediate matters regarding the equitable distribution of the waters of the Colorado River be arranged for by convention;
That the border claims growing out of battles at Aguaprieta and Juarez in 1911 be settled on the terms and according to the arrangement suggested by this Government after full consideration and arrival at the conviction that the requests made of the Mexican Government are just and fair;
That the Alamo murders be settled by the payment of $10,000 for each of the murdered men, and the prompt punishment of the guilty parties;
That the administration of justice throughout Mexico shall be raised to such a plane that this Government will no longer be compelled, by manifestly unfair and improper action on the part of certain Mexican courts, to make diplomatic representations in favor of its unjustly treated nationals;
And, finally, but most important, that the Mexican Government agree in principle to the settlement of all claims resulting from the loss of life by American citizens and damages to American property on account of the recent political disturbances in Mexico by presentation thereof to a mixed international commission which shall award damages therefor.
You will point out that no greater assurance could be given of a disposition to cement and maintain friendly relations with this Government than to give the assurances which you are above instructed to secure.