The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1919-12-18
4
MEXICO INSISTS
| ISNO ARGUMENT
Note to State Department Says
Release of Jenkins Removed
All Motive for Trouble.
ASSERTS CASE IS SETTLED
i Concludes, However, that Amer
lean Belief i'm His Innocence
Should Not Foil Law
ASSERTS CASE IS SETTLED

Mexico City, Dec 16. (By Associated |
Press)-The release of William o.
Jenkins, American consular agent at J
motive for misunder standing between
the Mexican and United States gov
ernments regarding the Jenkins issue,
according to the reply of the Mexican
government to the second American
note. The Mexican reply was handed !
to TIE American charge d'affaires this
evening.
The note declares the Jenkins case
has taken on an altogether different
aspect since the American agents re-
lee Sc. In polite terms, it differs with
the American objection to former
legal technicalities, reaffirming that
the Jenkins case is entirely a legal
one. Moreover, the Mexican answer
points out, the American governments
belief in Jenkins innocence of the
charges against him is not enough to
warrant setting aside Mexican laws.
The text of the reply follows:
with reference to the note No.
1,556 dated the 30th of last Novem-
ber, which your >excellency trans
mitted to the Mexican government,
acting on instructions of the Amer;-
can government relative to the case
CT Jenkins. have the honor of saying
! that, under instructions of the presi-
dent of the republic, the Mexican gov
| ernment in replying to this note will
confine itself to considering some Of
I the principal points of that note
without taking up and examining its
arguments, trying only to establish
certain necessary precedents in in
4 a f1<ry rysaI ya..- 4
clear before the people its official
conduct for, since Jenkins has been
released under bail deposited in the
Puebla court by an American citizen
/ the Mexican government thinks that
any motive for misunderstanding be-
tween the two countries has disap-
peared and that the jenkins case has
/ taken very different form than il
previously presented.
..The United states government I
says that it refuses 70 enter into any
4 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 a mat
ter which is essentially judicial and
from any other point of view is not
! improper or inadequate, and if this
ministry referred very extensively to
some points related to the Jenkins
case, it 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.
"The last paragraph of the note
which I am answering and which in
ls,sts on demanding the immediate re-
Ilease OF Jenkins. is based-is founded
,on-the belief of the American govern
nlent that the charge of false testi-
niony against Jenkins is unfounded.
4 Nevertheless the belief of the Anleri-
can government, in the innocence of
Jenkins is not sufficient, according to
!. Mexican laws, to establish such in
nocence and avoid legal consequences.
and the Mexican government cannot
accept this point of view sound
base to remove a foreign citizen from
the jurisdiction of Mexican tribunals
The belief of the American government
is founded on reports received abou.
the case, reports when, aside from
the value which they might have and
which this ministry does not deem 1t
convenient to discuss, lack-the proofs
by Mexican tribunals ana consequently
dc not constitute plain proof. accord
ing to Mexican penal laws. The
Mexican government cannot admit that
American citizens can De tried and
absolved on simple reports from the
state department nor ON recommends
tions or suggestions from the United
. States instead of trying them by Mexi-
can cours and according to Mexican
law.
Jenkins having been granted free
dom by the Puebla court, which case
now is being considered by the highes
court of the republic in order to de
.ermine which judge IS competent t.
try him, the Mexican government
takes the liberty to hope that thi.
e ease shall no longer disturb the good
j relations which it sincerely hopes ex
list between the American and Mexican
: people"