Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1916-06-21
SECRETARY LANSING'S
LATEST NOTE TO
GENERAL CARRANZA


Continued From rage Two.)
the purpose of resisting the onslaughts
of n few bands Of lawless men, espe-
cialIy when the neighboring state
makes no effort to prevent these at
lacks.
THE most effective method OF pre-
venting raids Of this nature, as past
experiences has fully demonstrated Is
TO visit punishment or destruction on
the raiders. 1t is precisely this plan
which the United States desires TO fol-
low along the border without any IN
tention OF Infringing upon the soVer-
ogn rights Of her neighbor, but which,
although obviously advantageous to
the dc facto government, it refused to
allow or even countenance. 1t is in
fact protection TO American lives ana
property about which the United
States is solicitous and not the meth
DDS or ways in which that protection
shall he accomplished II the Next
can government is unwilling or I'M
able TO give his protection by pre-
venting its territory from being the
rendezvous and refuge Of murderers
and plunderers, that does not relieve
this government from its duty to take
all thd steps necessary to safeguard
American citizens or American soil.
The United States government cannot
and will not allow bands of lawless
men to establish themselves upon its
borders with liberty to invade and
plumber American territory with i'm
lpunity, when pursued, TO seek safety
across the Rio Grande, relying upon
the plea Of their government that the
Integrity of the soil Of the Mexican re-
public must not be violated.
I Not Doing Its Best.
The Mexican government further
protests that 1t has made every eff
fort on It's part to protect the from
tier and that it is doing all possible
/ to avoid a recurrence of such acts
Attention is again invited to the well
known activity of de la Rosa, Ancieto
Piscano. Pedro Vinos and others in
connection with the border raids and
to the fact that, as ! am advised, up
to June 4, de la Rosa was still collect
Ing troops at Monterey for the openly
avowed purpose of making attacks on
Texas border towns and that Pedro
Vino was recruiting at other places
for the same avowed purpose. | have
already pointed out the uninterrupted
progress of Villa to and from Column
bus and the fact that the American
forces In pursuit of the Glenn Springs
marauders penetrated lGS miles into
Mexican territory without encounter
ing a single Carrancista soldier This
does not indicate that the Mexican
government is doing all possible
this is not sufficient to prevent border
raids and there is every reason, there
fore, why this government must take
such preventative measures as II
deems sufficient.
/ Money Damages Not Enough.
! ut is suggested that injuries suf-
fered on account of bandit raids are a
matter of 'pecuniary reparatlon,' but
never the cause for American forces
to invade Mexican soil The preced
ents which have been established and
maintained by the government of the
Mexican republic for the last half cen
fury do not bear out this statement. 1t
/ has grown to be almost a custom not
| to settle depredations Of bandits by
payments of money alone, but to quell
such disorders and to prevent such
crimes by swift and sure punishment.
/ THE dc facto government finally
argues that If the frontier wdre duly
protected from ineursions from Mex
leo, there would be no reason for the
| existing difficulty" thus the de facto
government attempts to absolve itself
from the first duty of any govern
ment namely, the protection of life.I
and property. This is the paramount
obligation for which governments are
Instituted and governments neglect
ling or failing TO perform II are not
worthy of the name. That 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 government recognized his gov
ernment as the de facto government |
Protection Of american lives and I
property, then in the United States, is |
itha first obligation of This p0vprn