New-York tribune., 1919-07-27
Bonillas Defends
Mericazs Situation
Bandits Being Overcome,
Foreigners Protected,
Says 4 N, bass sador

WASHINGTON, July 2e.-Despite
the operation of few bandits in some
districts, Mexico has a stable govern
ment and foreigners are accorded every
protection, Ambassador Bonillas de-
clared to-day In public statement on
the situation in the southern republic
addressed to the American people.
The ambassadors statement follows:
"Mexico to-day has stable govern
ment. True, there are some districts
in which u few bandits are at large
Mexico is in the aftermath of q civil
war and the conditions in these few
areas are such as have followed such
struggles in all lands. In your own
South it was many years after sAp-
pomattox before conditions We're re-
stored to normal, and your central gov
ernment WAS occupied long time in
the work Of pacihcation in few of
the remoter districts. Yet because the
James boys, "the Apache Kid" Ger
onimo and other bandits in the South
west continued their depredations after
urged that tho American government
was 'unstab!e.'
'In addition to the after effects Of
the civil strife there arc parts of Mex
leo in which conditions to-day are
much like they were in your own West
not so many years ago. Your army
was kept busy for two generations by
the Indians and bandits Of the West
Within my own memory the border
districts Of Mexico were raided almost
constantly by Indians escaping from
reservations on your own side of the
border. Cooperation of the two gov
ernments (treaty of 1882 in the mat
ter of pursuit of bandits and cattle
thieves across the international line
resulted in the suppression Of most of
these disorders in the early sos culmi-
mating in the capture of the Apache
Geronimo and his band Of Chiricahua
Indians by the forces of General Miles
in 1886.
eve are now trying to arrange for a
renewal of the former system. For
eigners in Mexico to-day are accorded
every protection. In the few disturbed
victims of bandits, but in every case
the government is devoting the utmost
energy to the pursuit and punishment
of the criminals. In such areas the
foreigner undergoes a risk that he as
sumes when he enters such an area and
his peril is not greater than the danger
to Mexicans.
"a few wandering bandits scattered
over an immense and sparsely settled
cOunCry-a country or mountains ana
wilderness in part-can keep great
many troops busy in pursuit as your
own Western experiences have demon
strated. The Mexican government to-
day is spending two-thirds of it's ma
tional income on the pursuit and
punishment of bandits. 1t has an army
of over $4,000 men engaged in this
work and troops are on the heels Of
these bands. The whole business is
in process of being wound UP at this
time. Zapata and many other bandit
chiefs have been tracked to their lairs
and killed.
"Other small bands are breaking up.
The Mexican government to-day is
making showing in this tremendous
task of pacifcation which compares
favorably with the effort of any gov-
ernment which has ever been confront
ed with conditions at all similar.
Mexico has never repudiated any
of her international obligations and
will meet every debt which is due. She
has the resources to discharge every
obligation without making any serious
drain on her national wealth. and as
fast as these assets become available
with the revival Of industry, she will
meet her obligations. In the oil
regions there has not been one in
stance of confiscation, nor are the
companies paying royalties. In 1913
they produced 64,0OO,0OO barrels of oil
out of potential capacity of their