The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1916-06-20
obviously advantageous to tho defacto
government. it refuses to allow or

obviously advantageous to the defact
government. 1t refuses to allow Q
even cOuntenance.
The Mexican government furthe
protests that it has made every effor
on its part to protect the frontier
and that it is doing all possible t
avoid a recurrence Of such acts. AT
tention Is again invited to the wei
known and unrestricted activity o
De La Rosa. Ancieto Piscano, PedIt
Vinos and others in connection Will
border raids and to the fact, as ! an
advised up to June fourth, De Ii
Rosa was still collecting troops al
Monterey for the openly ayowed pur
pose Of making attacks on Texan Dor
der towns and that Pedro Who's was
recruiting at other places for the
same aEowed purpose.
Not Doing lite Part.
-This does not indicate that the
Mexican government is doing all pos
sible' to avoid further raids.
st is suggested that the injuries
suffered on account of bandit raids
are a matter Of tpecuniary reparation.
but nevertheless, cause for American
forces to invade Mexican soil.'
ut has grown to be almost custom
to settle depreciation by money alone
but to Quell such disorders and to
prevent such crimes by satisfactory
and sure punishment That the de-
facto government finally urges that
the frontier were duly protected from
fncursions from Mexico there would
be no reason for the existing GlN
Guilty. thus the defacto government
Attempts to absolve itself from the
first duty Of any government, namely,
the protection Of life and property.
This Is the param cunt obligation for
which governments are instituted and
governments neglecting Or failing to
perform 1t are not worthy Of the
name. This is the duty for which
General Carranza, it must be assumed,
initiated his revolution In Mexico and
organized the present government
and for which the United States gov
eminent recognized his government
as the defacto government of Mexico.
"The government of the United
States does not wish to believe that
the defac+o government approves
these marauding attacks. yet as they
continue to be made they show the
Mexican government is unable to re-
press them.
TN conclusion. the Mexican govern
ment invites the U. 8. to support it's
assurances of friendship with real
and effective acts which can be no
other than the immediate withdrawal
of the American troops For the rea-
sons I have herein fully set forth
this request of the defacto govern
ment cannot now be entertained.
Whenever Mexico will assume and
effectively exercise that responsibility
the United States, as it has many
times before publicly declared, viii
be glad to have this obligation full
filed by the defacto government OF
Mexico. II on the other hand. the de.
facto government IS pleased TO ignore
this obligation and to believe that in
case of refusal to retire there troops
there is no further recourse than to
defend It's territory by an appeal to
arms, the government Of the United
States would surely be lacking in sim
cerity and friendship il it did not
frankly impress upon the defacto gov
eminent that the execution of this
threat WIN lead to the gravest conse-
quences. While this government
would deeply regret such result it
cannot recede from its settled deter
minatfon to maintain Its national
rights and to perform its natural duty
in preventing further invasions OF the
territory Of the United States and in
removing the peril which Am orleans
along the international boundary have
borne 50 long with patience and fore
bearance.
ROBERT LANSING"