Norwich bulletin., 1914-04-08
Protest Sent
 to Carranza
UNITED STATES TO EXTEND PRO.
 FICTION TO SPANIARDS.
FIGHTING AT TAMPICO
Admiral Fletcher Sends Battleship Utah to Reinforce American Force Now at That Port,

Washington. April 7.-Vigorous rep resentations went from the American
 government today to General Carran-
 ga, the constitutionalist chief, urging
 that he modify the order of General
 Villa expelling SpaniardS from Tor
 reon. The United States has under
 taken to extend to Spaniards in Mex
 leo the same protection it affords Americans resident there. and Ambas- sador Riano has been assured that
 nothing will be left undone to assure Tor the unfortunateS at Torreon every
 right to which they are entitled un- der international law and usage. That Spain proposes to exhaust ev cry resource to protect her people in the revolution-torn republic was made plain today when Rear Admiral Mayo at Tampico cabled the navy depart ment that the commanding officer of the British cruiser Hermerne had been instructed to care for Spaniards at this besieged federal port. Off1cails here did not comment on this devel- opment
 Embarrassing Situation at Torreon. The state department, as well as the spanish embassy here, is embarrassed in dealing with the situation at Tor reon by a lack of exact information as to the extent of the decree of eX- | pulsion and how far it has been exe- l cuted. It is understood that Villa, in ! | of Torreon that they were to be de- ported en masse; that a commission would be appointed to examine into 1 each individual case and that such of ] them as could establish the fact that i they have rendered no aid to the Huer- l ta cause would be permitted to return | to Torreon
 | The gravity of the problem has been 1 increased by unofficial but credible in 1 formation that this policy of expulsion l nf 110 1Tsar-r r17 -I 1 application: that as rapidly as the 1 constitutionalists by force of arms ex- tend their control over such cities as l Saltillo and Monterey and other places now within the federal line, they in tend to drive out the Spaniards and
 seize their property.
 An attempt to carry out such a plan would meet with determined opposition | from the United States government. 1 Officials say the Spaniards are in Mex | 1co under the provisions of treaty con- | ferrins the right of residence, trade 1 and travel and anything like a sweep ] ing deportation under these circum- 1 stances would be in violation of the
 principles of international law and
 would form proper subject of re- ] sentiment by the Spanish government
 even to the extent of hostile measures
 if need be.
 Illegal Confiscation of Property.
 It has also been pointed out that as l Villas decree involves the conffsca- | tion of the property of the Torreon Spaniards, 1t is wholly illegal, for even conceding the right of expulsion of | aliens under certain circumstances. in- ternational law expressly provides that this shall be done humaneIy and with out inicting losses upon the subject F'oreseeing the gravest international complications if the constituencies | should undertake to apply this doc | Urine of wholesale expulsion of aliens
 to other than Spaniards, the state de-
 partment is expected to lay this sub- ject before General Carranza so plain ly that he will exercise his full power | to prevent further interference with 1 all foreigners.
 Confirmation of reports of serious 1 fighting in the neighborhood of Tam
 pico have reached the navy depart 1 ment in messages from Admiral Mayo
 forwarded by Admiral Fletcher at Vera i Cruz. Admiral Fletcher has ordered
 the battleship Utah from Vera Cruz
 to Tampico to reinforce the formidable
 American naval force at that port
 The battleships Connecticut and Min
 nesota and the cruisers Des Moines l Chester, San Francisco and the des-
 patch boat Dolphin already are there