Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-12-04

States to plead for his liberation. Stripped
Of extraneous matter which the Mexi-
can note of November 20 endeayors to
clothe It., tho naked case Of Jenkins
stands forth: jenkins, a United States
consular agent, accredited to the govern
ment of Mexico, As imprisoned for rem
dering false judicial testimony with the
abduction of which he was the victim.
This Is the substance of the Mexican
note.
MY government is pleased to learn
that the Imprisonment of jenkins
stands on this single. and we'll defined
ground, and that the reported state
ments that Mexican authorities had
caused the Imprisonment of jenkins
because of collusion with his abductors
and rebellion against the state are not
seriously regarded by your govern
ment.
I'm whose interest then Is the charge
or false swearing brought against
Jenkins? His abductors? He is i'm equity
the complainant in the case of his alb
duction, not the defendant as the Mex
lean government now makes him out
to be. The Mexican government is
prosecuting the victim instead of the
pertetta perpetrators of crime. While
tho outlaws who endangered his life
anu tooh away IL large part or his
fortune, enjoy their freedom, the Mex
lean authorities now deprive Jenkins
of his liberty. Moreover the ground
expressed for the Imprisonment Of
jenkins, namely, that he is supposed
to be responsible for the crime Of
rendering false judicial testimony
must be taken--and my government
directs special attention to this point
AS merely an expression of opinion
on the part of the Mexican government
as 1t Is entirely unsupported by evil
dence. There is not produced any of the
testimony rendered by him, or any ex-
tracts from such testimony tending to
show the correctness of this opinion.
THE Mexican government cannot ex-
poet the United States to accept in the
grave circumstances Of this case such a
bare unsupported statement as a valid
excuse for the Imprisonment of an Amer
lean consular officer. particularly in view
of the fact that the investigation of the
case by the representatives of the Uni
ted States in Mexico. so far az it has pro-
ceeded fails utterly TO support this opin-
ion of your government. On the con-
trary the investigation gives the govern
ment of the United States every reason
to believe that Mr. Jenkins has not
respect of vital points in his case; al
though he has been harrassed by Mex
lean authorities to give such testimony.
even while lying in the hospital too weak
and exhausted to make them as a result
Of his treatment by the abductors, and
while he knew evidence was being OBJ
taned against him through intimidation
Of witnesses. SO stands the single, I'M
supported. and, my government believes,
utterly unfounded ground alleged for
jenkins imprisonment
What conclusion is to be drawn from
such a reply of the Mexican government
other than there has been a studied eff
fort on the part of Mexican authorities
to ensnare Jenkins in the intricaces Of
legal proceedings by alleging the COM
mission of technical offenses and by
bringing unsupported charges against
him, for a purpose. In the first place,
to divert the attention of the American
public and the American government and
Indeed. of Mexicans. themselves from the
actual situation, namely that Puebla, the
capital of the State Of PuebIa, and per-
haps the second largest city in Mexico.
Is without adequate protection from
outlaws who infest the immediate neigh
berhood and who are accustomed openly
anu AiteIy 10 WISH tne city without nlnQ-
rance. that by the failure to furnish ade-
quate protection in this district the Mex
lean authorities have, through their neg
ligence. made possible the abduction of
Jenkins. and that in harmony with such
an attitude on the part of the Mexican
authorities they have failed to carry out
the duty and obligation incumbent upon
them to apprehend and punish the bah.
dts concerned in the crime OF which
Jenkins was the victim. And in the Sec
ond place 1t appears to have been the
purpose Of the Mexican government to
assume n wilful indifference to the feel
ings of the American people that have
been aroused to the point of indignation
by the exposure, hardships and physical
suffering endured by Jenkins during his
abduction and his subsequent treatment
at the hands of Mexican authorities.
'Tn view of the considerations which
have been set forth and in view particu-
larry of the belief of my government that
the charge against Jenkins of deliberate
false swearing is unfounded, the govern
ment of the United States must renew
its request for the immediate release of
Consular Agent Jenkins from further
Imprisonment
tSigned)
LANSING"