In the discussion of this agreement the Mexican Government constantly insisted that the passage of troops should be limited, as to the zone of operations on foreign soil, to the time that said troops should remain thereon, to the number of soldiers which should constitute the expedition, and to the class of arms to compose said expedition. The government of the United States refused to accept these limitations, and, finally, when it did accept the last counter proposal, it stated that in consenting to sign the agreement, it was on condition that said agreement should not apply to the Columbus expedition.

6. This attitude of the American Government was the cause of the Mexican Government sending its note of the 12th of April, in which, leaving aside all discussion of the agreement, once that it was not to cover the Columbus case, it asked the American Government to withdraw its troops, inasmuch as their presence on Mexican soil was not founded on any agreement, and as there was no further object in their remaining, once that the Villa bandits had been scattered and destroyed.

7. Though the American Government gave no answer to the said note of the 12th of April, nor did it take steps to withdraw its troops, it deemed it opportune that representatives of the armies of both countries should meet at some point on the frontier to treat of the military aspect of the situation, and to see if it were possible, in this way, to reach a satisfactory solution, which, on the part of Mexico, consisted in the withdrawal of American troops from its territory.

With this end in view, a conference was arranged at Ciudad Jaurez and El Paso between Gens. Hugh L. Scott and Frederick Funston, representing the American Government, and the Secretary of War and Marine of Mexico, Gen. Alvaro Obregon. A series of sessions was held and was marked by a spirit of frank cordiality. During these conferences the military situation and all data and explanations relating thereto were fully discussed.

As a result thereof there was submitted for the approval of the Governments of Washington and Mexico a project of a memorandum, in which Gen. Scott declared that the destruction and dispersion of the Villa band had been accomplished, and that in consequence thereof the American Government had decided to begin the withdrawal of its troops, under the promise of the Mexican Government to guard the frontier in such a manner as to prevent a recurrence of raids similar to that on Columbus.

8. The Mexican Government refused to give its approval to this

class of agreement, as it provided, furthermore, that the American Government might suspend the withdrawal of troops if any further incident might happen which would lead it to believe that Mexico was not able to protect the frontier as agreed upon.

The Mexican Government could not accept this conditional clause, as the evacuation of its territory is a matter which pertains entirely to the sovereignty of the country and is conditional, in no case, on the criterion of the American Government. On the other hand, it was very possible that some incident might occur which would give an aspect of legality to the indefinite stay of American troops on Mexican soil.

9. This point was still being discussed by Gens. Scott, Funston, and Obregon when, on the 6th of the present month of May, a party of bandits attacked an American garrison at Glenn Springs, on the American side, crossing immediately thereafter the Rio Bravo and interning themselves by way of Boquillas, in Mexican territory.

10. In view of this and fearing that the American Government might hasten the sending of more troops into Mexico in pursuit of the bandits, the Mexican Government gave instructions to Gen. Obregon to notify that of the United States that it would not permit the further passage of American troops into Mexico on this account, and that orders had been given to all the military commanders along the frontier not to consent to same.

11. On learning the attitude of the Mexican Government, Gens. Scott and Funston assured Gen. Obregon that no orders had been issued to American troops to cross the frontier on account of the Boquillas raid, and that, furthermore, no more American troops would cross into our territory.

This statement was made personally by Gens. Scott and Funston to Gen. Obregon at the time of the suspension of the conferences and was reiterated by Gen. Scott himself, thereafter, in a private conversation with Licenciado Juan Neftali Amador, Subsecretary of Foreign Relations, who had taken part in the said conferences between the military representatives of the United States and Mexico.

12. As a result of the Glenn Springs or Boquillas incident, and to prevent groups of bandits from organizing and arming near the frontier and repeating their raids, and in order to bring about an effective military coöperation between the American and the Mexican forces, this government suggested, through its representative, Gen. Obregon, to

the representatives of the United States, Gens. Scott and Funston, the advisability of settling upon a military plan providing for the distribution of troops along the frontier in order to insure an effective vigilance of the entire region, and in this way prevent, as far as possible, a recurrence of the raids. The Mexican Government in this way demonstrated not alone its good faith and intentions, but also its real desire to cooperate effectively with the Government of the United States, and to avoid new causes of friction between the two governments.

This reciprocal plan for the distribution of American and Mexican forces, in their respective territories along the frontier, was proposed in order to avert any immediate new cause of difficulty, the right being reserved, always, to reach a subsequent agreement for the reciprocal passage of troops as long as the abnormal conditions existed in our territory.

13. The conferences between Gens. Scott, Funston, and Obregon were suspended on the 11th of May without an arrangement having been reached for the unconditional withdrawal of American troops. Gen. Scott insisted on the preparation of a memoradum for the conditional withdrawal of American troops, but did not take into consideration the plan proposed by the Mexican Government for the protection of the frontier by a distribution of troops along the same.

Under these conditions the work of concluding the negotiations initiated at Ciudad Jaurez and El Paso reverted to the Governments of Washington and Mexico. Up to this moment no complication had arisen in regard to the new incident at Boquillas, and all the assurances given by Gens. Scott and Funston led one to suppose that this incident would not cause new difficulties.

14. The Mexican Government, nevertheless, has just been advised that some 400 men of the 8th Regiment of the American Army are on Mexican soil, having crossed the line near Boquillas about the 10th or the 11th instant. They are at present near a place called El Pino, some 60 miles to the south of the frontier. This fact reached the knowledge of the Mexican authorities through the commander of the American forces which crossed the frontier, he having sent the Mexican military commander a communication from Esmeralda, in Sierra Mojada, stating that he had crossed the frontier in pursuit of the bandits who had attacked Glenn Springs, in virtue of an agreement existing between the American and the Mexican Governments providing for the passage of troops and also with the consent of a Mexican consular officer at Del

class of agreement, as it provided, furthermore, that the American Government might suspend the withdrawal of troops if any further incident might happen which would lead it to believe that Mexico was not able to protect the frontier as agreed upon.

The Mexican Government could not accept this conditional clause, as the evacuation of its territory is a matter which pertains entirely to the sovereignty of the country and is conditional, in no case, on the criterion of the American Government. On the other hand, it was very possible that some incident might occur which would give an aspect of legality to the indefinite stay of American troops on Mexican soil.

9. This point was still being discussed by Gens. Scott, Funston, and Obregon when, on the 6th of the present month of May, a party of bandits attacked an American garrison at Glenn Springs, on the American side, crossing immediately thereafter the Rio Bravo and interning themselves by way of Boquillas, in Mexican territory.

10. In view of this and fearing that the American Government might hasten the sending of more troops into Mexico in pursuit of the bandits, the Mexican Government gave instructions to Gen. Obregon to notify that of the United States that it would not permit the further passage of American troops into Mexico on this account, and that orders had been given to all the military commanders along the frontier not to consent to same.

11. On learning the attitude of the Mexican Government, Gens. Scott and Funston assured Gen. Obregon that no orders had been issued to American troops to cross the frontier on account of the Boquillas raid, and that, furthermore, no more American troops would cross into our territory.

This statement was made personally by Gens. Scott and Funston to Gen. Obregon at the time of the suspension of the conferences and was reiterated by Gen. Scott himself, thereafter, in a private conversation with Licenciado Juan Neftali Amador, Subsecretary of Foreign Relations, who had taken part in the said conferences between the military representatives of the United States and Mexico.

12. As a result of the Glenn Springs or Boquillas incident, and to prevent groups of bandits from organizing and arming near the frontier and repeating their raids, and in order to bring about an effective military coöperation between the American and the Mexican forces, this government suggested, through its representative, Gen. Obregon, to

the representatives of the United States, Gens. Scott and Funston, the advisability of settling upon a military plan providing for the distribution of troops along the frontier in order to insure an effective vigilance of the entire region, and in this way prevent, as far as possible, a recurrence of the raids. The Mexican Government in this way demonstrated not alone its good faith and intentions, but also its real desire to cooperate effectively with the Government of the United States, and to avoid new causes of friction between the two governments.

This reciprocal plan for the distribution of American and Mexican forces, in their respective territories along the frontier, was proposed in order to avert any immediate new cause of difficulty, the right being reserved, always, to reach a subsequent agreement for the reciprocal passage of troops as long as the abnormal conditions existed in our territory.

13. The conferences between Gens. Scott, Funston, and Obregon were suspended on the 11th of May without an arrangement having been reached for the unconditional withdrawal of American troops. Gen. Scott insisted on the preparation of a memoradum for the conditional withdrawal of American troops, but did not take into consideration the plan proposed by the Mexican Government for the protection of the frontier by a distribution of troops along the same.

Under these conditions the work of concluding the negotiations initiated at Ciudad Jaurez and El Paso reverted to the Governments of Washington and Mexico. Up to this moment no complication had arisen in regard to the new incident at Boquillas, and all the assurances given by Gens. Scott and Funston led one to suppose that this incident would not cause new difficulties.

14. The Mexican Government, nevertheless, has just been advised that some 400 men of the 8th Regiment of the American Army are on Mexican soil, having crossed the line near Boquillas about the 10th or the 11th instant. They are at present near a place called El Pino, some 60 miles to the south of the frontier. This fact reached the knowledge of the Mexican authorities through the commander of the American forces which crossed the frontier, he having sent the Mexican military commander a communication from Esmeralda, in Sierra Mojada, stating that he had crossed the frontier in pursuit of the bandits who had attacked Glenn Springs, in virtue of an agreement existing between the American and the Mexican Governments providing for the passage of troops and also with the consent of a Mexican consular officer at Del