The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-01-13
Watchful Waiting May Be Sue
ceeded by Determined Eff
fort to Crush Bandits
BODIES OF MURDERED
MEN ARE SENT FOR
Senate and House Both Engage
In Discussion of Situation
Brought About by Act Of
Murdcrous Villa Followers

washington. Jan. l2.--Tiae
numbering OF seventeen Americans
by Mexican bandits In territory
controlled by CarTnnxa has APP
paren6ly brought the Mexican
situation 10 q crisis.
Members Of Congress who have
remained silent for the last two
years under the policy Of watch
full waiting threw aside all re-
srrAint today and demanded pro
tccfion for American lives and
property. Senators . d M ftted
osscnly on the fioor that they favor
intervention and war III that was
the only way I'm which American
citizens could be given the pro-
lection To which they were en-
titled ia Mexico.
Two resolutions were introduced.
one In the Senate. calling for inter-
yention In the event of .arranza be-
ing unable 20 furnish adequate pro-
lection for citizens of u: tied States.
and the other IN the House, calling on
the President to inform Congress
whether or not. in hix opinion. the
time had come TO discard watchful
waiting and take other steps for the
safeguarding of American lives in
Mexico
Borab attacks Policy.
The Presidents Mexican policy was
bitterly attacked In the senate, being
described by Senator Borah as eide
stepping, compromising. procrastinat.
ing. apoiogizing, pn-American policy"
The administration and State De-
partment offsciais seemed bewiidered
by the sudden turn In the Mexican
situation. and were plainly anxious
At. -
the American sentiment toward the
Gsrranxa government
Upon the receipt of the connrma-
ton OF the massacre the State Depart
raent sent representations 20 -Cazranza
requesting him to order the i'm
mediate pursuit, capture and punish
ment of the perpetrators of the
.sdastardiy crime" and strongly urg-
ing" better protection for foreigners
in the mining district OF Chihuahua
Earlier in the day Secretary L.ans-
ing issued statement which, though
referring TO the murder Of the AIneri-
partial blame on the victims them
selves, as having disregared warnings
TO keep out OF territory in which the
viiiista bandits are operating
Had Issued No Passports.
Secretary Lansing denied that the
State Department had obtained safe
conduct for the Americans. or had
issued passports 10 them. Neverthe-
less. in his representation to Car
rama. he laid stress on the fact that
since the occupation OF Chihuahua
state BY the Carranxa forces many
Americans had returned there with
the consent of the military authorities
al the de facto government.
According 10 the secretary, II stiil
remains to be determined whether
the Carraiiza authorities did their full
duty in affording measures of protec-
tion TO the Americans who were
slaughtered. and whether in view of
the publicly proclaimed intentions OF
Villa to xiii all Americans. they should
have furnished geard for the train
on which the massacred mcn We're
travelling.
In this connectica there developed
a conflict of statements at the depart
nent as to the nature Of the repre-
sensations sent to Carranxa. Offer-
ing IL as a paraphrase of the text
Of THESE representations. an oflicial
Oh the department. about 3 o'clock,
dictated to a group OF newspaper men
what he said was sent to United States
Consn. Sillinan at Queretaro for pre-
nentation to Carranxa In this official
paraphrase the Carranxa forces In
chihuahua were charged with being
Inert and not caps bile of taking care
0f the situation" ana the statement
was made that the Americans who
were killed had been furnished safe
conducts by the, military authorities
0f the Carranxa government.
Whom Secretary lansinE's attention
WAS called, half an hour later, to this
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