South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-07-24
LETTERS ON
MEXICO ARE
MADE PUBLIC
Sen. Fall Reveals Correspond
enCe told of in Announce
ment from Mex. Capital.
5y United Press:

3y United Press.
WASHINGTON. July 24-sen.
Albert B. Fall. New Mexico. today
made public correspondence refer
red 10 in an announcement at Mex
leo city yesterday as showing an at
tempt TO arrange a conference be-
tween Fall and Francisco villa.
None of the letters showed any
direct communication or connection
between the senator and the Mexi-
can bandit leader
Among the letters made public by
i'aH were two ne wrote 10 Charles
j. Hunt. FL PasO broker Included
also was a letter Fall said he had
been informed the state department
had intercepted. This letter was said
To have been written in 1917 TO
Villa by Hunt, Offering to arrange
"a conference between Villa and sew
erdl influential Americans, includ-
iug Fall. Fail also gave out a letter
ne wrote TO Sec'y Lansing March u.
1917, after ne had been informed
that George c. Carothers. the state
department agent on the border, had
probably obtained a copy of Hunts
proposal to Villa. In this letter Fall
declared he had done nothing illegal
and he had no apologies.
Followed Announcement.
Tall 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
a reference to "ex-Gov." Charles
Hunt. which il is believed here
caused Mexican officials 20 confuse
Hunt with former Gov. George w.
+. Hunt OF Arizona.
The first letter written by Hunt
10 villa in January. 1917. said:
IF you viii meet me at "A place
designated by you on the border. 7
promise 10 bring 90 our conference
one OF the most eminent statesmen
in the United States with powerful
influence with both our political
parties relative 20 questions pertain
ing 20 Mexico. I refer to United
States Sen. Albert B. Fall, who ap-
preciates the Mexican people, and
no living American knows the con-
ditions in Mexico better than he"
Hunt also said in the letter that
n had discussed this question
thoroughly with Sen. Fall. He add
cd that he was taking this step on
his own initiative.
Fall Tells Position.
Hunt then wrote TO Fall stating
what he had done. Fall replied at
length explaining his position, un-
der date Of Feb. / 1917 He said:
Il presumed that you had simply
written 10 Villa or some Of his
friends along the line OF our con
VersatiCn when I visited YOU at the
hospital in Er Paso and that If YOU
had mentioned my name at all YOU
had possibly in doing SO stated your
conclusions from this conversation.
Il stated 20 YOU that in event villa
came 10 the border or had his rep
resentative come. that 1 would have
no hesitanCy in talking with them
ONLY and discussing Mexican matters
with them. but that I would not dis
cuss with any representative of any
faction anything touching Mexico
70 There must be an absolute pledge
OF respect for American lives and
property. or respect for treaty Oh
legations. etc.
"I have very carefully refrained
from alignirE directly or indirectly
with any OF the sO-caHed factions
in Mexico.
Might Favor villa.
IF Mr. Villa could convince me
that he was in a position where
II not interfered with by this gov
ernment ne could restore order and
maintain peace and order in Mexico
and thus would be i'm position to and
would give me satisfactory assur-
ances that ne desired and would
perform all international obliEa
tions as well as the national obHga-
tlons TO protect foreign citizens and
property investments i'm Mexico.
would without hesitation publicly
in the senate or elsewhere. lay be
fore the people OF the United States
such assurances and frankly and i'm
partially advise them from my
knowledge OF Mexican affairs as
lisve heretofore done. just what
thought was best for this govern
Ident 90 do In Mexico"
Hunt then discovered the letter Z,
villa evidently had miscarried ant
wrote Fail that 10 appeared Caroth
ers had intercepted il and a cop,
could be obtained by Carranza-
Il have no apologies 20 make 20
any actions OF mine whatsoever,
Fall wrote.