Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-12-17
MEXICO SEES NO
HARM in CAPTURE
OF u. S. CONSUL
Within Rights Reply to Note
Over American Since Re-
lease, Ayers
BIZ Associated Press

Mexico City, Dec. t7.-The reply of
the Mexican government to the sec
ond American note demanding the inn
mediate release of William O, Jen-
kins. American consular agent at
! Puebla. follows:
With reference to note No. 1856
dated the thirtieth of last November,
which your excellency transmitted to
| the Mexican government. acting on
instructions from the American gov
| ernment. relative to the case of Jen-
kins l have the honor of saying that
under instruction of the President of
the republic, the Mexican government
in replying to this note Will confine
! ltself to considering some of the prin-
clpal points of that note without TAX
ing up and examining its arguments.
trying only to establish certain nee
| essary precedents in international
law and in order to make clear be-
fore the people its official conduct,
Tor, since Jenkins has been relea Sed
under bail deposited in the Puebla
court by an American citizen, the
Mexican government thinks that any
motive for Misunderstanding between
the two countries has disappeared
and that the Jenkins case has taken
a. Very different form than it pre-
Viously presented.
The United States government
says that it refuses to enter into any
judicial discussion of the different
points brought forward by the Jen-
kins case. but the Mexican govern
ment, on the contrary, thinks that a
discussion of legal questions in mat
ter which is essentially judicial and
from any other point of view. is not
improper or inadequate and ii this
ministry referred very extensively to
some points related to the Jenkins
case ii was due to the fact that the
Mexican government deems that a
complete exposition of the Jenkins
case is its best justification and con-
elusive proof OF the legality of its
procedure.
Sufficient Evidence
The last paragraph of the note
which | am answering, and which i'm
sists on demanding the immediate re-
lease of Jenkins, is based-is found
ed-on the belief of the American
government that the charge of false
testimony against Jenkins is un-
founded. Nevertheless. the belief of
the American government in the in
nocence of Jenkins is not sufficient,
according to Mexican laws to estab-
llsh such innocence and avoid legal
consequences; and the Mexican gov
ernment cannot accept this point of
view as sound base to remove a
foreign citizen from the jurisdiction
of the Mexican tribunals The belief
ed on reports received about the case.
reports which. aside from the value
which they might have and which
this ministry does not deem 1t con-
ventent TO discuss. lack the proofs
OF lmpartiality which are demanded
by Mexican tribunals and conse-
quentlE do not constitute plain proof
according to the Mexican penal law.
The Mexican government cannot ad-
nit that American citizens can he
tried and absolved on simple reports
from the state Department nor on
recommendations or suggestions
from the United States, instead of
trying them by Mexican courts and
according to Mexican law
Not Disturbing ReIntiOns
Jenkins having been granted FREQ
dom by the Puebla court, which case
now is being considered by the high
est of the republic in order to deter
mine which judge is competent to try
him, the Mexican government takes
the liberty to hope that this case
shall no longer disturb the good re-
lations which it sincerely hopes exist
between the American and Mexican
peoples"
The communication is signed bv Hi
lario Medina, who is in charge of the
foreign relations department, and is
addressed to George T. SummerIin. i'm
charge of the American embassy. II
was handed to the American charge.
daffairs last night.