The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-04-14
the south OF the place where they then

ION the 18th of March the Hon.
Mr.. Polk addressed a letter to our
confidential agent in Washington,
ratifying IN writing the conference
held on the previous day. and ex-
pressing In a clear and conclusive
manner that ii was a motive for sim
cere lamentation that there had been
d bad Interpretation as TO the attitude
of the first chief relating to the pass
age of United States troops over the
frontier in the pursuit of Villa, and
declaring that the State Department
of the United States believed that our
government had consented plainly to
the arrangement proposed in its com
munication of March 10 from the then
secretary of foreign affairs. hcenciado
Jesus Acuna, which arrangement was
accepted. by the United States gov
eminent in It's note of March 1S.
I'm declarations which His Excel
lenCy. the Hon. President Wilson r1ade
public on March s. he expressed him.
self in the following manner:
! AS We have already announced,
the expedition was ordered under an
agreement with the de facto govern
ment of Mexico for the purpose only
OF capturing the bandit Villa. whose
forces have invaded the territory of
the United States. and on no pretext
whatever would we order an invasion
of that republic or violation OF its
sovereignty
THAT idea, published by His Excel
Ilency, President Wilson, was rectified
on March 81 by a message sent to our
confidential agent in Washington, in
which he was instructed to call your
attention to the Idea indicated, since
the note Of March 10 referred to the
reciprocal passage of troops only in
case that incidents like those which oc-
CURED at Columbus should be re-
peated
Lastly. on the 5th of the present
month your excellency, in delivering
to our confidential agent a counter
project OF an agreement on the re-
ciprocsl passage of troops to be pre-
scented for the consideration OF the
Mexican government. accompanied II
with a note declaring that the Ameri-
fcan government trusted that the con-
ditions contained in the said agree
meut should not apply to American
forces which actually found them
selves within Mexican territory at that
time in pursuit of villa.
Your excellency further assured Us
that in exercising that privilege ~
entering our territory those forces
would confne their military opera :
tons only to the object of the e%peo'-
lion and that they would reute iFH-
mediately afterward to their own
: country Your excellency also eN-
{ messed your gratefulness to the Mex
/ lean government for having. az you
stated, reached a compact by means
of which the United States forces had
ner,nission to pursue villa and his
marty in Mexican territory, and stated
that the American government 1ouna
itself disposed to respect the cou-
fdenre shown it. was that il would, by
no means violate Mexicos sovereignty
Tor abuse the privilege so generously
land freely granted II.
No Agreement: No Right To Act.
Furthermore the honorable Sec
rotary of the state Department. Mr.
Polk. in conference with our con
Ifdential agent in Washington declared
that the United States government nae
acted in all good faith in sending us
expedition into Mexico in pursuit o.
villa on the slppositior that the notf
of March 10 contained dchhit'
a agreement but that the American
government consented to let the ex
pedition remain In Mexican TERRITORY
only until details of an asreemen
could he arranged.
"In consequence Of the Facts pre-
. viously expressed, AS no fnal agree
ment has been reached as to the terms
tor q treaty to regulate in general the
reciprocal passage of troops over the
dividing line for the purpose OF pur
u sufng outlaws who may Aaenc@tortf
. commit depredations in. one or the
other country. the Mexican govern
r iment Judges it convenient to suspend
for the present all discussion 81
negotiations in this particular Oh
founded on the circumstances that TIM
expedition sent by the Unitel StaIe'
government to pursue villa is without
: foundation in virtue of the non-eN'
istenre of previous agreement
formal and definite
And as that expedition has FOL
filled it's object, in so far AZ it wlll b'
, able to do so al the party headed by
, Villa has already been dispersed: and
finally. because there are Mexican
: troops in sufficient number pursuing
them. and more forces are being sen
to exterminate the rest Of the heater
/ party, the first chief Of the const'tu
itional army charged with the eXecu
tive power of the nation. consider
that II is already time to treat witt
= the United States government for tn
r withdrawal of their forces from on
? territory.
II take this opportunity to reiterat'
+ to your exceilency my very distinguish
ed estimation and consideration
"CANDTDO AGUILAR,
, t,1SAa canratar,- Por Lvorni.ru ff1irs