Page:Mexico and its reconstruction.djvu/310

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292
MEXICO AND ITS RECONSTRUCTION

thorities were instructed to furnish escorts to Americans when they went outside the settled districts. It does not appear that such protection was always given, and in some cases when proffered it was declined by Americans, especially by mining prospectors, who did not want to have their movements observed.[1]

In 1906 President Diaz asked whether the United States would not give its active coöperation to stop the Yaquis from getting supplies of arms in the way indicated.[2] To do so would make it possible to assure order in the northwest states, promote their development, protect the lives of American citizens, and help to eliminate the claims for damages against the government of Mexico, The President, of the United States promised to do what he could to help. In the following year the Secretary of the Interior asked the Governor of Arizona to put into effect again precautionary measures to prevent smuggling of arms. This he did. Similar orders were issued by the Secretary of the Treasury to the Customs Collector at Nogales. In 1908 the United States government concentrated forces along the border to stop fleeing marauders from seeking refuge in American territory,[3] thus assisting the Mexican troops to stamp out disorder.

In short, in the closing years of the Diaz régime there was cordial cooperation between the government of


  1. A number of incidents illustrating these conditions are described in ibid., p. 639 et seq.
  2. Ibid., 1906, p. 1149; see also ibid., 1907, p. 846 et seq.
  3. Ibid., 1908, p. 604, quoting the Mexican Herald of September 17, 1908.