The daily times. [volume] (Wilson, N.C.) 1902-1936, 1919-07-24
.217 MURDERS
OF AMERICANS
By the Mexican Greasers Ann
bassador Fletcher Reports
to the Committee
IN HIS TESTIMONY GIVEN
IN HIS TESTIMONY GIVEN

Washington, July 22.-Henry P.
Fletcher, the American ambassador
to Mexico, called as the first witness
before the Rules Combmittee of the
House which began preliminary
inquiry into conditions in Mexico,
which it is believed will lead to
thorough and far-reaching investiga-
tior- by a joint Senate and House |
Committee of the entire Mexican !
problem, submitted list fthe nam !
es of Americans officially known i
Ito have been killed in Msxico a ma
iority of them murdered in cold
blood, since the overthrow of Porfir-
20 Diaz by Madero in 1911. The
list contains 217 names and in :
comparatively few instances do the
records show that arrests were made
by the particular Mexican faction ,
that happened to me in power where
the crime was committed. In only
one instance, that of John B. Nc
Manus, who was killed in March
1915, was reparation made. 1t is
significant that McManus was kill
ed ty Zapatistas and Zapata Off
cials apologized for the crime and
paid to Mrs. McManus a voluntary
indemnity of $4,000 in gold.
OF the 217 persons as victims of
the Mexicans, 1877 perished since
Carranza came into power. The list
it was admitted is not complete.
The Fletcher, list, prined in ano-
+, ther column shows that the largest
number of killings occurred in
1916 forty-five being recorded in
the State Department files for that
year. The second largest number
is that of 1918 when the number
twas thirty one, while the third lar
gest record is that of 1914, during
the first part of which year Huerta
was in control. The Carranzistas
assumed the titular direction of
Mexican affairs in the latter part
lof that year. The number killed
in 1874 was thirty.
Ambassador Fletcher's lestimoney
may be said to be the first compre-
hensive public statement made by
any government official regarding
Mexican affairs. He was not a SEN
satlonal witness in ay sense of the
word. He gave Carranza credit for
everything that he has done and dip
Iomatical1y excused himself from
offering suggestions as to how
the problem should be handled. He
was unable off hand to cite any stri-
king examples of friendship for the
United States or of zeal in trying to
, run down and punish the persons re-
: sponsible for the numerous crimes.
, directed against American lives and
? property in the last seven turbulents
years in Mexican history.
1t was evident that the ambassa-
dor. considered the situation very
serious and that he was Of the op-
tinion that it should be handled in
a very delicate b at just manner
AS to what should be done he made
it plain that he considered that a
question for the Government to de-
termine.
: It was near the close of his testi.
e lmony that Ambassador Fletcher pro-
Idueed his list of Americans who
had been killed since the departure
lfrom Mexico fthe late Porf1rio Diaz
Ambassador Fletcher said that he
3 considered the list to be "fairly ac
= Icnrate" and edded that the list was
8 completed only yesterday.
n Ambassador Fletcher took thu
u witness stand at IL o'clock this NOR
y ming. Congressman Philip P. Camp
,. bell of Kansas, the Chairman presen
ted and briefly outlined the purpos.
of the inquiry and informed Mr.
- Fletcher that he had been Gale,
- as the first witness at the suggestion
= of Under Secretary of State Franl
'e L. Polk.
The witness began by reciting tn
fact that he was appointed Ambas
sador to Mexico, in December 1915
but that he did not assume his dutie
10 in Mexico City until after the Per
~ shing punitive expedition was re
Continued on page Six)