Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1919-12-06
FREEING JENKINS
EASES TENSION
BETWEEN NATIONS
Mexico Has Yet to Explain to an
American Official; Wallace
Case Up.
SITUATION is SERIOUS

Washington. Dec 6.--The demand OF
, the American Government, twice stated
| in notes from Secretary Lansing to the
! Carranza Government, for the release OF
William O. jenkins, the American Con-
sular Agent at Puebla, Mexico, was met
Thursday night when he was set free from
the penitentiary III which he had been
held about two weeks.
The release of Jenkins is understood
TO have been by court order following
an investigation made for the Carranza
Government by General Pablo Gonzalez,
who was sent to Puebla for that purpose.
Secretary Lansing authorized the state
ment last night that the result OF the
! Gonzalez investigation practically sub
stantiated the position taken by thus
Government on behalf of Jenkins
The release of Jenkins served to relieve
the tension of the Mexican situation for
the last week, but it leaves 1t with Gle
ments of n very serious character. IL
does not dispose Of the contention Of the
American Government that Jenkins was
prosecuted. that he was held on trumpcd-
up charges of Justification and colluslon
based on testimony of poems given under
threats and duress, nor docs 1t dispose OF
the argument of the American Govern
nent that while Jenkins was being perse-
Cuted and his integrity as an American
diplomatic agent was being attacked by
Mexican officials. these same officials had
done nothing substantial toward bringing
about the arrest Of the bandits who Kid
mapped him, subjected him 10 suffering,
and caused him heavy monetary loss by
way of ransom
The release Of Jenkins, in other words
nc was learned from authoratIve quarters
last night, does not dispose Of the consider
alton BY the American Government of
the kidnapping and ranscmng OF Jenkins
The effect of the Imprisonment ot Jenkins
was to introdu &C new and serious clCnrUts
into the situation which neccSsltatci the
demand and its rcitcration for his release
and while negotiations Tor his release were
pending the question Of his kidnapping
and the payment Of the ransom were held
IN allowance hy the State Department
Now that the demand for hi release had
been met the department Mil proceed
with the consideration Of the demand u II
to submit 10 the Carran4a Government IN
thu matter Of the treatment Of Jenkins
and the payment al the ransom.
The liberation Of Jenkins, whlic To
that extent relieving the situation, leaves
.he relations OF the two countries still
St LllF fe1InA NLltEt ~ It1N Ast t1liNt4EittA
necessary at any time 10 withdraw the
de fscto recognition that had been ac-
corded 10 the Carr5anza Government. II
can be stated on authority that the len
kins case was merely an incident IN q
long train Of wrongs" 70 which Amer
ican citizens had been subjected al the
hsnds OF Mex1cans rs 3 result Of the
failure OF the Carranza authorities to
control The situation in that country
This long train Of wrongs still stands
and is not forgotten bv the admlnlstTa-
tive or executive branches of the Gov
ernTnent q; Washington. One official
speaking OF this train 81 wrongs to-
dav alluded 10 the Jenkins case AS the
"caboose" on that train, and 1 Is S1a .
ment correctly represents the attitude -
the Administration, as 1t Is understood
thst the Government n Washington Is
not disposed TO tolerate the further
Iengthening Of the train 0; wrong
through continuation of the past attitude
OF the Carranza authorities,
STATEMENT on KILLING or WALTERS.
The State Department Is also investi-
eating the case Of James Wallace the
American employe Of an oil company
who was killed BY Carranza soldier
IL the Tampico district last week In
regard 70 this case the Mexican En-
bassy last night gave out . statement IN
which il tired 10 put the blame for tho
shooting az Wallace upon himself by
making it appear thst he was intoxi-
Gated and that he provoked the shoot
ing This allegation is compared TO the
attitude Of the authorities at Puebis, who
did their best tn make il appear that
Jenkins was responsible for his OWL kid
mapping and that he had resorted to
falsitcatiOn