Arizona republican., 1917-04-16
STRICT NEUTRALITY
 DECLARES CARRANZA
Republican A. p. Leased Wire]

MEXICO CITY, April 15.-General Carranza in his address to congress to- night declared that Mexico would main tain 9 strict and rigorous neutrality in the world war. H. von Eckhardt, the German minister was seated in box with Austrian, Spanish and other diplo- mats. Henry ?. Fletcher sat with the British minister.
 General CarranZa also read to the congress, which held it's first formal session tonight, a complete report of his administration as first chief The narrative extended from the time of the Madero revolution in 1910. Particular attention was given the revolt against Madero by Felix Diaz in 1912 General CarranZa declared that the failure to treat Diaz with severity was Q great mistake, as it allowed the awakening of the ambitions of Diaz and old fav- orites. He gave in detail the alleged efforts of Henry Lane Wilson, then American ambassador to Mexico, to in fluence him as follows:
 Just after the assassination of Pres ident Madero the consul and vice con sul of the Unted States visited me at the government palace in Saltillo under instructions from Henry Lane Wilson, the American ambassador, to bring pressure to make me desist in my at titude of recognition of the Huerta
 government. They insistently af- firmed that all resistance would be futile because Huerta had immense re- sources, sufficient to choke the revolt in Coahuila; and they made known to me that the government of Huerta had been recognized by all other govern ments, including the United States which had diplomatic representatives in Mexico, and that | was the only one maintaining a rebellious attitude.
 Tn answer 1 said that I would not accept the arrangement and would fol- low my duty as governor of the state, whatever the outcome. Afterward 1 obtained a full copy of Ambassador Wilson's message to the said consuls | to bring pressure on me. A few days later Vice Consul Sulluman asked what would be my conditions to avoid war, saying he would transmit the condi- tons to Huerta through Ambassador l Wilson.
 'l wrote in reply that my terms were 1 that Huerta and other connected with I the CuartelaZZo leave the country and l that the capital be evacuated and oc- cupied by troops of Coahuila and that | congress designate a legal substitute for the president. Mr. Silliman prom
 
 ised to see that this letter reached the capital, but I never had an answer. 1 Tt is opportune to make clear these facts, in view of the recent interview given by Senator Knox in the United States, in which he said the interven- l ton of Ambassador Wilson was due only to the fact that I had asked his mediation, which is entirely false, as the facts are as above"
 In explaining the decree of May. 1913 providing for the rights of nationals and foreigners to collect damages sui fered in the revolt, General Carranzs said the decree did not refer to dam. ages that always follow civil war. bu- only through the occupation of privat, property by the constitutional authori. ties by reason of military necessity He added that when Huerta was de. deated and the capital occupied. tn, country and the people had suffered comparatively little damage whicl could have been easily repaired had no ambition bitten certain chiefs and mad, l COntinued or Pape Twol