Rocky Ford enterprise., 1916-06-30
U. S. WARNS CARRANzA
LANSING TELLS FIRST CHIEF
THAT "GRAvEsT coNsE-
ouENcES" WILL FOL-
LOW ANY At
TACK.
Note Charges Diseourtesy, Misrepre.
sentation Of Facts and Insineerity,
and That No Attempt Was
Made to Help Pursue
Bandits.

Western Newspaper Union News Service.
Washington, June 21.-The United
States noe to Gen. Carranza informs
him that American troops will not be
withdrawn from Mexico and warns
him that war will follow any attempt
on his part to enforce his threat to
attack the United States soldiers.
The note in part follows:
tary of foreign Relations of the de
facto government of Mexico:
Department of state. washington.
June 30. 1915. sirII have read aysDu5 your
to me on May. 20. 1916. under instrue-
tions of the chief executive of the dc
faoto government of Mexico on the sub
troops In Mexican territory and !
would be wanting in candor II did
cations of fact and the conclusions
reached BY your government, express
discourteous tone and temper of this
last communication from the de facto
government of Mexico.
The government of the United States
has Viewed with deep. concern and
increasing disappointment the prog
ress Of the revolution in Mexico. Con-
tinuous bloodshed and disorders have
marked its progress.
For three years the Mexican repub-
lie has been torn with civil strife !;
have be been n sacrificed: was vast % properties
developed by American. capital and en-
terprise have been destroyed or rem
been permitted to roam at will through
the territory contiguous to the Unit
ed States and to seize without pun.
at punishment the property of Ameri-
cans, while the lives Of citizens Of the
Mexican tarrltOrv ratnrn there
to protect their interests have been
taken, In some cases barbarously TAX
en-, and the murdererS have neither
been apprehended nor brought to JUS
Il would be difficult to find in the
ditions more deplorable than those
which have existed there during these
It would be tedious ITO to recount in
stance after instance. outrage after
outrage, atrocity after atrocity, to
of the widespread conditions of law
lessness and violence which have pre-
vailed.
Recounts bandit Raids Across Border.
During the past nine months in par.
ticular the frontier Of the United
been thrown th into a state ' Of constant cons
apprehension and turmoil because of
frequent ana sudden incursions into
and murders on American soil by Mexi-
can bandits, who have taken the lives
and DESTROYED the property Of Ameri-
can citizens, sometimes carrying Amer.
lean citizens across the international
boundary. with the booty seized.
tackled at night, American soldiers
killed and their equipment and horses
stolen. American ranches have been
raided. property stolen and destroyed
and American trains wrecked and
House Ferry, Progreso postoffce and
Las Peladas. all occurring during Sep
tember last, are typical In these at
ranzista adherents and even Carran-
zista soldiers took part In the looting,
burning and killing. Not only were
less brutality, but uncivilized acts OF
mutilation were perpetrated.
Requests Have Proved Futile.
Representations were made to Gen.
Quested to stop these reprehensible
acts in a section which he has long
claimed to be under the complete domi-
nation of his authority.
Notwithstanding these representa-
tions and the promise OF Gen. Nafar-
ternationaI boundary in the following
month Of October a passenger train
was wrecked by bandits and several
Brownsville and an attack was made
upon United States troops at the same
place several days later, since these
known to both Mexican civil and MILL
tary authorities as well as to Ameri-
can officers, have been enjoying with
impunity the liberty of the towns OF
northern Mexico.
So far has the Indifference of the
de facto government to these atroc-
tiles gone that some of these leaders,
as l am advised have received not
only the protection of that government,
but encouragement and aid as we'll
Depredations upon American persons
and property within Mexican jurisdic-
tion have been still more numerous.
This government has repeatedly re-
quested In the strongest terms that
the de facto government safeguard the
lives and homes of American citizens
national obligation imposes, to Ameri-
can interests in the northern states of
Tamaulipas, Nuevo Leon, Coahuila.
Chihuahua and Sonora and also in the
states to the south.
For example, on Jan. 8, troops were
requested to punish the bands of out
laws which looted the Cusi mining
property, eighty miles west of Chi
huahua, but no effective results came
During the following week the
bandit villa with his band of about
400 men was operating without oppo-
sition between Rubio and Santa Ysabel.
fact well known to Carranzista au-
thorities.
Meanwhile a party of unfortunate
Americans started by train from Chi
huahua to visit the Cusi mines, after
having received assurances from the
Carranzista authorities in the state of
chihuahua that the country was safe
and that a guard on the train was not
necessary. The Americans held pass
ports or safe conducts issued by au-
thorities of the de facto government.
on Jan. 10 the train was stopped by
villa bandits and eighteen of the
American party were stripped of their
clothing and shot in cold blood in what