River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1911-12-14

justed matters as to secure tranquility
Ia result devoutly to be wished. The
troops can then be returned to their
posts.
Second, Texas is a state ordinarily
peaceful, but you can not put zO.oVV
troops into it without running some
risk of collision between the peo-
pie of the state, and especially the
| Mexicans who live in Texas near the
border and who sympathize with the
insurrectos, and the federal soldiers.
For that reason l beg you to be as
careful as you can to prevent friction
| of any kind.
Third. One of the great troubles
in the concentration of troops is the
danger of disease, and 1 suppose that
you have adopted the most modern
methods for the preventing and, II
necessary, for stamping out epidem1cs.
That is so much part Of cam
paign that it hardly seems necessary
for me to call attention to it.
Finally, 1 wish you to examine the
question of the patrol of the border
and put as many troops on that work
as is practicable, and more than are
now engaged in it, in order to prevent
| the use of our borderland for the
carrying on of the instruction. have
given assurances to the Mexican am
bassador on this point.
Il sincerely hope that this expert
ence will always be remembered by
the army and navy as a useful means
OF education, and l should be greatly
disappointed If it resulted in any In
| jury or disaster to our forces from any
cause. / have taken a good Geal of
responsibility in ordering this mobil-
ization, but / am ready to answer for
1t II only you and those under you
use the utmost care to avoid the diff
hculties which 1 have pointed out"
| am more than happy to here re-
cord the fact that all apprehensions
as to the effect of the presence of so
large military force in Texas proved
groundless: no disturbances occurred.
From time to time com nunications
were received from Ambassador Will
son, who had returned to Mexico, con-
frming the view that the massing of
American troops in the neighborhood
had had good effect.
The instruction continued and re-
suited in engagements between the
regular Mexican troops and the insur-
gents, and this along the border, so
that in several instances bullets from
the contending forces struck American
citizens engaged in their lawful occu-
pations on American soil.
Proper protests were made against
these invasions of American rights to
the Mexican authorities.
The presence of a large military
and naval force available for prompt
action, near the Mexican border,
proved to be most fortunate under the
somewhat trying conditions presented
Had no movement heretofore taken
place, and because Of these events it
| had been necessary then to bring
! about the mobilization, it must have
had sinister significance. On the
| other hand, the presence Of the troops
before and at the time of the unfor-
tunate killing and wounding of Amer
lean citizens at Douglas, made clear
that the restraint exercised by our
government in regard to this occur
renee was not due to a lack of force
or power to deal with it promptly and
aggressively, but was due to a real
desire to use every means possible to
avoid direct Intervention in the af-
fairs Of our neighbor, whose friend
ship we valued and were most anxious
to retain.
The policy and action of this gov
eminent were based upon an earnest
| friendliness for the Mexican people
as a whole, and it is q matter of
qualification to note that this attitude
of strict impartiality as to all fac
lions in Mexico and Of sincere friend
ship for the neighboring nation, with
out regard for party allegiance, has
been generally recognized and has
resulted in an even closer and more
sympathetic understanding between
the two republics and warmer re-
gard one for the other Action to
suppress violence and restore tran
guilty throughout the Mexican repub-
lie was of peculiar interest to this
government, in that it concerned the
safeguarding of American life and
property in that country. On May Is,
1911, President Diaz resigned, Senior
de la Barra was chosen provisional
president Elections for president
and vice-president were thereafter
held throughout the republic, and
Senior Francisco /. Madero was for
mally declared elected on October Is
to the chief magistracy. On Novem-
Der 6 President Madero entered upon
the duties of his Office.
Honduras and Nicaragua Treaties
Proposed.
AS to the situation in Central
America, have taken occasion in the
past to emphasize most strongly the
importance that should be attributed
to the consummation of the conven-
tons between the Republics of Mica
ragua and of Honduras and this
country, and I again earnestly recon-
mend that the necessary advice and
consent Of the senate be accorded to
these treaties, which will make it pos
sible for these Central American re-
publics to enter upon an era of genu-
inc economic national development.
Our relations with the Republic of
Panama, peculiarly important, due to