Giving our said attorneys full power to do everything whatsoever requisite and necessary to be done in the premises, as fully as we could do if personally present, hereby ratifying and confirming all that our said Attorneys shall lawfully do, or cause to be done by virtue hereof. In witness whereof I have hereunto, for myself in behalf of the Board of Education in Liberia, set my hand and seal this 13th day of July in [SEAL.] the year of Our Lord, one thousand nine hundred and twelve, and of the Republic the sixty-fifth. B. W. PAYNE, Secretary of Public Instruction. For and in behalf of the Board of Education in Liberia. File No. 882.42/11. The Acting Secretary of State to the President of the American Colonization Society. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, August 20, 1912. SIR: In compliance with the request of Doctor Ernest Lyon, Liberian Consul General at Baltimore, Maryland, I am transmitting herewith certain authenticated documents' which he states have been required by you as proper authority for the American Colonization Society to turn over to Mr. Charles B. Dunbar and Doctor Lyon as attorneys to receive the fund from the hands of the Society. I am [etc.] ALVEY A. ADEE. File No. 882.42/19. The President of the American Colonization Society to the Secretary of State. WASHINGTON, October 7, 1913. SIR: I have the honor to inform you that the Donovan Trust Fund. which has been the subject of correspondence between your Department, the American Colonization Society and the Liberian Government, was satisfactorily adjusted this day, by payment in full by the Society of the sum of $65,511.11, to Consul General Lyon, who is duly authorized by the Liberian Government to receive the fund and give an acquittance to the Society. Respectfully, H. L. E. JOHNSON. Inclosure to the next above. MEXICO. MESSAGES OF THE DE FACTO PROVISIONAL PRESIDENT, VICTORIANO HUERTA, READ TO THE CONGRESS APRIL 1 AND SEPTEMBER 16, 1913. File No. 812.032/14. The American Ambassador to the Secretary of State. No. 1916.] AMERICAN EMBASSY, SIR: I have the honor to transmit herewith in duplicate the official copy of the Report of the Citizen President of the Republic to the Second Session of the 26th Congress of the United Mexican States, as well as a translation of the same in duplicate taken from the Mexican Herald of this morning. I have [etc.] HENRY LANE WILSON. [Inclosure Translation-Extract pertaining to foreign relations.] Public attention has been occupied greatly by the public disorders which have occurred during the last six months, since they might have had influence in some manner on the cordial relations which up to date we have maintained with foreign nations. As a matter of fact the criminal depredations committed in various parts of the Republic by armed groups which have placed themselves outside the law, committing acts now of rebellion, now of brigandage, have brought about, on the part of victims of foreign nationality, claims against the Mexican Government, directed by the representatives of their respective nations. The form in which the claims have been presented has in no wise inspired any doubt or the least fear that our relations of friendship with foreign nations could suffer any alteration from this cause. Prudence, discretion and serenity have been characteristic of the conduct of the diplomatic agents accredited to Mexico in taking up these affairs, showing once more the esteem which their Governments and they themselves have for our country. The Mexican Government, anticipating the investigation ordered by the American Congress to fix and estimate the personal damages caused by the revolution of 1910 by citizens resident in El Paso, Texas, and Douglas, Arizona, ordered two of its consuls to compile with the greatest zeal the data for the appraising the real damage and to set the amounts of indemnities which should be forthcoming. The result was that only eleven persons presented claims in El Paso and six in Douglas, for injuries received, in some cases because of acts imputable to their own negligence or their impertinent curiosity to witness a battle. In equity and in view of the damages suffered, indemnities were fixed, the amounts of which were similar to those fixed by the American courts and by the Mexican and American chancelleries in cases where the damages, in part at least, are the fault of the victims. The matter is not yet ended due to the exaggerated pretensions of those interested, who have thought to find in the commission appointed by the American Congress an unconditional support. File No. 812.032/15. The American Chargé d'Affaires to the Secretary of State. No. 2060.] AMERICAN EMBASSY, Mexico, September 17, 1913. SIR: For the information of the Department, I have the honor to transmit herewith the original text of the message read by the Provisional President of the United Mexican States, at the opening of Congress last night. I also transmit herewith a clipping from the NELSON O'SHAUGHNESSY. [Inclosure-Translation-Extract pertaining to foreign relations.] The fratricidal struggle that has been exhausting us is fortunately near its end, due to the efforts of the glorious Federal Army, any praise of which is too little. Besides this struggle the tension of our diplomatic relations with the Government of the United States of America, although fortunately not with that people, have caused us to suffer more than one disappointment that we did not merit from that source and has retarded the complete pacification of the Republic. As this matter is of such a delicate nature and as I have already informed the Permanent Committee and the whole nation of the still uninterrupted state of negotiations, I have only to add that the Government with reason expects soon to see settled the differences that today keep in suspense the friendship that unites us to that powerful and civilized neighbor. Notwithstanding the very delicate circumstances in which the country has been placed, and to which I will refer in the proper place, our foreign relations have not suffered, and, far from becoming strained, they have been characterized by a more cordially amicable tendency since the country began to emerge from its great revolutionary crisis. Among the international questions awaiting settlement there are some that have arisen of late on account of the revolutionary conflict and others of an earlier date, which for various reasons had not been settled. To both, the Executive has devoted special attention, the desire being that the Department of Foreign Relations develop an activity commensurate with the urgency that exists at the present time that all questions in which friendly governments are interested be promptly despatched. The Executive hopes that Mexico will be able to give the most solid guaranties of its good will to the nations with which she is bound by ties of friendship and interest, and she on her side will do her best to the end that all delicate questions pending in our chancellery may soon be disposed of, while upholding, as is right, before all things, the honor and interests of the nation, in accordance with adequate precepts of international law. To this end certain projected conventions will shortly be submitted to the Senate, the general terms of which are the subject-matter of negotiations which have been initiated in a friendly spirit. POLITICAL AFFAIRS-ASSASSINATION OF PRESIDENT MADERO The American Ambassador to the Secretary of State. [Telegram-Paraphrase.] AMERICAN EMBASSY, Mexico, January 7, 1913-6 p. m. The substance of my analysis of the situation, made since my return, is as follows: I regard the whole situation as gloomy if not hopeless. Armed revolution against the Government has for the moment sensibly di 1 Continued from For. Rel. 1912, pp. 708-878. Mr. Wilson resumed charge of the Embassy on January 5. minished, but one or more revolutionary movements may at any time be dangerous to the Government, already suffering from universal unpopularity. In the north the revolution exists only in the States of Durango and Chihuahua; violence elsewhere is simply brigandage. In the south the States of Mexico, Michoacán, Guerrero, Morelos, and parts of Oaxaca, Puebla and Vera Cruz are practically in revolt against the Government and brigandage is existent every where. The Government is making frantic efforts to borrow, but the German and French Ministers have made cautionary representations to their Governments, and success would appear problematical. Unless an unexpected change occurs a crisis will be inevitable. The strike on the National Railways is at present the gravest situation the Government has to deal with, as suspension would bring about intolerable conditions. Unless this difficulty is arranged within two or three days all communication throughout the Republic, except by the Mexican Railway, will be suspended and thousands of men added to the forces of disorder. WILSON. File No. 312.112F821/9. The American Ambassador to the Secretary of State. [Telegram-Paraphrase.] AMERICAN EMBASSY, Francisco Villa is reported in the local papers to be in El Paso.' Villa was a former Federal leader and ex-bandit who has been in prison in Mexico City for the murder of Fountain and for other anti-American activities, as a result of the Embassy's representations last spring. WILSON. File No. 812.00/5865. The American Consul at Vera Cruz to the Secretary of State. [Telegram-Paraphrase.] AMERICAN CONSULATE, Vera Cruz, January 14, 1913. I have received information, which I believe to be reliable, and which I am sending also to the Embassy, to the effect that Madero Government plans sham revolutionary uprising in Vera Cruz in order to kill Felix Díaz and his companions in prison and to make it appear they were killed accidentally or to be justified in shooting them immediately afterwards. As this uprising may be started at any moment my aid was solicited for the good name of the country. If our Government would promptly adopt such measures as would prevent this act it might be prevented if the Embassy should tell Madero the intended plot was known; the information might also be 1 Confirmed on January 14 by the American Consul at Ciudad Juárez. File no. 812.11F821/10. given to the press by the Department. The presence of a cruiser might also have a beneficial effect. I have sent a duplicate of this telegram to the Embassy. CANADA, File No. 812.00/5867. The American Ambassador to the Secretary of State. [Telegram-Paraphrase.] AMERICAN EMBASSY, Mexico, January 14, 1913-5 p. m. The dangerous situation at Acapulco would indicate necessity for prompt and adequate protection on our part of American and foreign interests. I recommend the immediate sending of war vessels adequate to meet the situation, with instructions to remain in those waters and not to be withdrawn except after consultation with the Embassy. I have meantime requested British Chargé d'Affaires to detain English gunboat Shearwater until our Government shall have taken action. WILSON. File No. 812.00/5856. The Secretary of State to the American Ambassador. [Telegrams-Paraphrases.] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, January 14, 1913-6 p. m. U. S. S. Denver has been ordered to-day to proceed at once to Acapulco and will arrive there on or about 21st instant. Lay the situation before the Mexican Foreign Office and inform that office of the arrival of the Denver. File No. 812.00/5865. KNOX. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, January 16, 1913—2 p. m. Consul Canada's telegram January 14 to you. You may inform the Mexican Government that this report has reached both the Department and the Embassy; while deprecating its authenticity, point out the peculiar criminal and dastardly character of such a procedure; say how detrimental it is to the Mexican Government for anyone to circulate such rumors: indicate that a vigorous effort to apprehend and to punish those responsible for them would seem to be in order. Telegraph the Department your opinion as to sending a war vessel to Vera Cruz. |