The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-12-08

| IS, 1911, and made public:
 Your dispatch received. Have made urgent demand upon the Mexican gov
 ernment to issue instructions to prevent
 firing across border by Mexican troops,
 and am awaiting reply. Meantime l
 have sent direct warning to the Mexican 1 and insurgent forces near Douglas. l infer from your dispatch that both par ties attempt to heed the warning, but
 that in the strain and exigeney of the con- test wild bullets still find their way into Douglas. The situation might jus tify me in ordering our troops to cross the border and attempt to stop the
 fighting, or to fire upon both combat 1 ants from the American side. But II 1
 take this step, 1 must face the possi- l bility of resistance and greater blood | shed. and also the danger of having our
 motives misconstrued and misrepre- | scented, and of thus infiaming Mexican
 popular indignation against many thou-
 sand Americans now in Mexico and jeop-
 ardize their lives and property. The
 pressure for general intervention under 1 such conditions it might not be practl- | cable to resist. It is impossible to fore
 see or reckon the consequences or such
 a course, and we must use the greatest 1 self restraint to avoid it. Pending my | urgent representation to the Mexican government, I cannot therefore order
 the troops at Douglas to cross the bor-
 der, but l must ask you and the local authorities, in case the same danger re-
 CUTS, to direct the people of Douglas l to place themselves where bullets can not reach them and thus avoid casualty. 1 am loath 10 endanger Americans in Mexico, where they are necessarily eX- posed, by taking radical step to pre- vent injury to Americans on our side of the border who can avoid it by a tenn porary inconvenience"
 Invasion Stopped
 I am glad to say that no further in- vasion of American rights of any sub stantial character occurred.
 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 by this in- Vasion of American rights. Had no movement heretofore taken place, and because of these events it had been nec- essary than to bring about the mohiliza- ton. it must have had sinister signi- ficance. On the other hand. the pres ence of the troops before and at the time of the unfortunate killing and wounding of American citizens at Doug las, made clear that the restraint ex- eTcised by our government in regard to this occurrence 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 pos sible 10 avoid direct intervention in the affairs of our neighbor. whose friend ship we valued and were most anxious to retain
 Based on Friendship
 1 The policy and action of this govern ment were based upon an earnest friend liness for the Mexican people as whole, and it is matter of qualification to note that this attitude of strict impartiality as to all factions in Mexico and sincere friendship for the neighboring nation, without regard for party allegiance, has been geenrally recognized and has re- suited in an even closer and more sym
 phetic understanding between the two republics and a warmer regard one for the other. Action to suppress violence and restore tranquility throughout the Mexican republic was of peculiar interest i to this government in that it concerned | the safeguarding of American life and | property in that country. The govern l ment of the United States had occasion | to accord permission for the passage of | a body of Mexican furales through | Douglas, Ariz., to Tia Juana, Mexico, for the suppression of general lawlessness which for some time had existed in the region of northern Lower California. On May 25, 1911, President Diaz resigned, Senor de la Barra was chosen provi- sional President. Elections for President and Vice President were thereafter held throughout the republic, and Senor Fran cisco l. Madero was formally declared | elected on October b to the chief magis- tracy. On November President Ma | dero entered upon the duties of the of- | flee. |
 Since the inauguration of President | Madero a plot has been unearthed | against the present government to be- | gin a new instruction. Pursuing the | same consistent policy which this ad- ministration has adopted from the be- ginning, it directed an investigation
 into the conspiracy charged, and this investigator has resulted in the in- dictment of General Bernardo Reyes and others and the seizure of a num- Der of officers and men and horses and Ncountrements assembled upon the SON of Texas for the purpose of invading Mexico. Similar proceedings had been taken during the insurrec- tion against the Diaz government re- sulting in the indictment and prosecu- ton of persons found to be engaged in violating the neutrality laws of the United States in aid of that uprising.
 The record of this government in re- spect of the recognition of constituted authority in Mexico therefore is clear.
 Treaties Proposed
 As to the situation in Central Amer
 
 to emphasize most strongly the i'm portance that should be attributed to the consummation of the conventions l between the republics of Nicaragua | and of Honduras and this country, and I again earnestly recommend that | the necessary advice and consent of | the Senate be accorded to these l treaties, which will make it possible l for these Central American republics | to enter upon an era of genuine eco- | homie national development The gov ernment of Nicaragua which has al- | ready taken favorable action on the | convention, has found it necessary, l pending the exchange of final ratifica- | tions, to enter into negotiations with American bankers for the purpose of i securing a temporary loan to relieve the present financial tension. In con nection with this temporary loan and in the hope of consummating, through the ultimate operation of the conven- tion, a complete and lasting economic | regeneration, the government of Near agua has also decided to engage an American citizen as collector general of customs The claims commission on which the services of two American citizens have been sought. and the work of the American financial adviser should accomplish a lasting good of | inestimable benefit to the prosperity, commerce, and peace of the republic. | In considering the ratification of the | conventions with Nicaragua and Hon. l duras, there rests with the United | States the heavy responsibility of the 1 fact that their rejuection here might fact that their rejection here might sign the republics concerned to still