The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-04-13
Will Not Recognize Letcher as American Consul in
 Chihuahua
MAILS ARE SEARCHED
 BY REBEL FORCES
Series of ats Leading Up to Climax < ; tion of Fountain Incr' z fension-official
 nents Seized

Chfhu SS Mexico, April l2.-united States Marion Letcher, stationed here. he American consul as far as Ge D eual Orozco, commander in chief rebel army. is concerned.
 General Ufozco made this statement to- day, declaring that as the United States government does not recognize the bel- ligerency of the liberals, the liberals can not recognize Letcher as consul. Orozco adds he does not like the tone of cer- tain communications from MT. Letcher.
 MT. Letcher IS merely an American citizens and entitled to consideration we grant every foreigner said General Orozeo.
 Letcher Not Perturbed
 MT. Letcher was not perturbed visibly when informed of his official ostraeism. and has been treating the rebel general simply as a Mexican citizen.
 The official ostracism includes also James I. Long, the United States con- sular agent at Parral. A series of incl dents have led to the climax. Since the revolution began the consul from time to time has been compelled in the ab- sence of other authority in Chihuahua to take up various matters with Orozco. The latter, fretted under the fact that JUG tDISul ulu llOl duuItSS Ilill dS d ltE- ularly constituted authority.
 Official Documents Seized
 Less than a week ago a rebel band went through a Mexican Central train bound from Chihuahua to Juarez and seized letters and documents carried by passengers, among them being consider able matter addressed by the consul to the state department al Washington. Mir. Letcher protested to Orozco against this act. There were several exchanges and finally the liberal leader informed the consul that the letters had been seized because either they were stamped with American ssarnps risot stamped at all. Orozco said the fact that the letters were not intrusted to the mails as conducted by the rebels was an insult to them
 In conclusion the consul was informed that his letters were in the postoffice and that they were at his disposal as soon as he saw fit to affix official Mexican postage stamps
 Execution Increases Tension
 Another thing which increased the ten sion between Orozco and Messrs. Letcher and Long was the execution of Thomas Fountain, an American, fighting under General Rancho Villa.
 Fountain was not a spy. He was cap tured in uniform and under arms. Not withstanding this, he was condemned and shot. American citizens attempted to in tercede and as a last resort Consul Letch- CT and Consular Agent Long delivered request, said to have been signed by Pres ident Taft. for a stay of execution until a more thorough investigation could be made.
 Slow to Trust Mails
 This plea was rejected almost instantly. to tho great indignation of American res idents of Parral. Their protests only stiff fened his resentment against what he considers undue interference by Ameri- cans including the consuls, in affairs of the rebellion.
 Since the beginning of the revolt for egners have been slow to trust their communications to the mails. Few pas sengers have left here without a package of mail to be posted in Fl Paso and most of the foreign mail received has been brought by the same means. It has been taken for granted that sealed mis- sives are no more sacred in Mexico now than at any other time when official suspicion is on the alert