The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1919-07-24
FALL EXPLAINS
MEXICO CHARGE
Gives Out Correspondence
in Reference to Villa

WASHINGTON. July Ex-senator
Albert II. Fan. New Mexico. today
made public correspondence referred
to in an announcement at Mexico
City yesterday. as showing an at.
tempt to arrange n conference be.
tween Fall and Francisco Villa.
None OF the letters showed any di.
rect communication or connection
between the senator and the Mexi.
can bandit leader.
Among the letters made public by
Fall were two he wrote to Charles
+. Hunt. FL Paso broker. Included
also was q letter Fall said he had
been informed the state department.
had intercepted. This latter was
said to have been written ~ 1917 to
VILLA by Hunt. offering to Arrange a
conference between villa and several
influential Americans. including
Fall.
FAN also gave out a letter to Sec
rotary Lansing. March IL. 1917. aft
er he had been informed that George
c. CArothers, the state department
agent on the border. had probably
obtained copy OF Hunts proposal
to Villa In this letter Fall declared
he had done nothing illegal and he
had no apologies.
Mexican Report
FAN made public the correspond
ence, following an announcement in
Mexico City that the Mexican gov.
eminent would publish letters re-
Gently captured at Juarez- One Of
the letters. purporting to have been
written by Villa to Hunt. contained
= reference to ''ex-Gov." Charles c.
Hunt. which. II is believed here.
caused Mexican officials to confuse
Hunt with former Gov. George w. p.
Hunt. Of Arizona.
The first letter written by Hunt TO
vnla. In January. 1917. said:
II you will meet me at a place
designated by you. on the border.
promise to bring to our conference
ono OF the most eminent statesmen
in the United States, with powerful
influence with both our political par
ties. relative to questions pertaining
20 Mexico. l refer to United States
senator Albert B. FAN. who appreci-
ates the Mexican people. and no liv-
ing American knows the conditions
in Mexico better than he"
Hunt also said in the letter that
he had discussed this question
thoroly. with Senator Fall. He add
ed that he was taking this step on
his own initiative.
Senator Fall Replies
Hunt then wrote to FAN. stating
what he had done. FAN replied at
1ength. explaining his position. I'M
der date Of February /. 1917. He
aid:
Il presume that you had simply
written to villa or some of his
friends along the line OF our CONVEX
ontion when visited you at the hos
pital IN Ell Paso. and that IL you had
mentioned my name at all. you had
poonibly. in doing SO. stated your
conclusions from this conversation.
II stated to you that in the event
vnla came to the border. or had his
ropresentative come, that l would
hive no hesitancy in talking with
them only, and discussing Mexican
rDattarD with them, but that would
not discuss with any representative
u any faction anything touching
MEXICO. except that as a preliminary
4 1hereto. there must be an absolute
poe6ge Of respect for American lives
ana property, Of respect for treaty
o6ligations. etc.
II have very carefully refrained
nom aligning directly or Indirectly
with any Of the so-called factions In
Mexico.
II Mr.. Villa could convince me
that he was in psition where. II not
interfered with by this government.
~ could restore order and maintain
peoce ana order in Mexico. and thus
~ IN = position to and would give
me satisfactory assurances that he
desired and would perform all inter
national obligations. as well as the
national obligations to protect for
elgn citizens and property invest
naonts IN Mexico. l would without
hesitation publicly. In the senate or
elsewhere, lay before the people of
the United States such assurances.
and frankly and impartialIy advise
them from my knowledge Of Mexican
Affairs. as have heretofore done.
just what thought was best for this
government to do in Mexico"
Hunt then discovered the letter to
villa evidently had miscarried. and
wrote Fan that 1t appeared Carothers
had intercepted II and a copy had
been obtained by Carranza.
Fall replied he regretted Hunt
wrote to Villa. but it could do no
more than call for explanations. A
few days later Fall wrote Secretary
Lansing that Hunts mental condi-
ton was not what it might be, and
Enclosed copies Of his correspondence
with Hunt.