The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-06-20

I 6 oe~s s'$js:s
U. S. cavalry at Brownsville, Texas;
General Frederick Funston; map
showing location of present border
troubles
bandits we'll known both to Mexican
civil and military authorities, as we'll
as to American officers have been en-
joying with impunity the liberty of the
towns of northern Mexico. So far has
the indifference of the de facto gov
eminent to these atrocities gone that
some of these leaders, as I am adj
vised. have received not only the pro-
lection of that government, but en-
enlargement and aid as well.
Depredations upon American per-
sons and property within Mexican
jurisdiction have been still more nu-
merous. This government has repeat
eddy requested, in the strongest terms,
that the de facto government safe
gard the lives and homes of American
citizens and furnish the protection
which International obligation i'm
poses to American interests in the
northern states of Tamauhpas, Nuevo
Leon, Coahuila, Chihuahua and So
nora and also in the states to the
south.
For example, on January 8, troops
were requested to punish the bands of
outlaws which looted the Cusi mining
property, eighty miles west of Chihua-
hua, but no effective result came from
this request During the following
week the bandit Villa with his band
of about 200 men was operating with
out opposition between Rubio and
Santa Ysabel. d fact well known to
Carranzista authorities. Meanwhile, a
party of unfortunate Americans start
ed by train from Chihuahua to visit
the Cusi mines after having received
assurances from the Carranzista
authorities in the state of chihuahua
guard on the train was not necessary.
The Americans held passports of safe
conducts issued by authorities of the
de facto government.
The Santa. Ysabel Massacre
On January 10, the train was stop
ped by Villa bandits and eighteen of
the American party were stripped of
their clothing and shot in cold blood
in what is now known as the Santa
Ysabel massacre
General Carranza stated to the
agent of the department of state that
he had issued orders for the imme-
date pursuit and capture and punish
ment OF those responsible for this
atroclouS crime and appealed to this
government and to the American peo-
pie to consider the difficulties of ac-
cording protection along the railroa
where the massacre occurred. Assur-
ances were also given by Mr.. Are
dondo, presumably under instructions
from the de facto government that the
murderers would be brought to JUS
tice and that steps would also be taxi
en- to remedy the lawless conditions
existing in the state of Durango. 1t
is true that Villa, Castro and Lopez
were publicly declared to be outlaws
and subject to apprehension and exc
cution, but so far as known only a sin
gle man personally connected with
this massacre has been brought to
| justice by Mexican authorities.
Within a month after this barbar-
Gus slaughter of inoffensive Americana
it was notorious that Villa was oper-
ating within twenty miles of CuSihuir-
iachic and publicly stated that his
purpose was to destroy American lives
and property Despite repeated and
| insistent demands that military pro-
| lection should be furnished to Ameri-
cans, Villa openly carried on his op-
erauons, constantly approaching
closer and closer to the border. He
was not intercepted. nor were his
movements impeded by troops of the
de facto government and no effectual
attempt was made to fruStra tie his
| hostile designs against Americans. In
| fact. as 1 am informed, while Villa
and his band were slowly moving
|
neighborhood of Columbus, n. NJ, not
| a single Mexican soldier was seen in
| his vicinity. Yet, the Mexican au-
th0rities were fully cognizant of his
movements, for, on March g. as Gen
era1 Gavira publicly announced, he
had advised the American military
authorities of the outlaws approach
to the border so that they might be
prepared to prevent his crossing the
| boundary
Villas Columbus Raid.
| Villas unhindered activities cul-
minated in the unprovoked and cold
blooded attack upon American SOL
| diers and citizens of the town of
| Colum bus, on the night of March 8,
the details of which do not need rep
| etition here in order to refresh your
memory with the hideousness of the
| crime. After numbering, burning and
p1undering, Villa and his bandits flee
| ing south passed within sight of the
Carranzista military post at Casas
| Grandes and no effort was made to
stop him by the officers and garrison
of the de facto government stationed
/ there.
In the face of these depredations,
not only American lives and prop
erty on Mexican soil. but on American
soldiers, citizens and homes on Amer
lean territory. the perpetrators of
which General Carranza was unable
or possibly considered inadvisabIe to
| apprehend to punish, the United
| States had no recourse other than to
employ force to dispense the bands
of Mexican outlaws who were, with
| increasing boldness, systematically
raiding across the international boun-
dairy The marauders engaged in the
attack on Columbus were driven back
across the border by American cavalry
and subsequently as soon as a suffi-
cient force to cope with the band
| could be collected, were pursued into