El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-07-07

III COX DIPLOMACY, as applleu
by the Washington govern
- ment to Latin-American af-
fairs is evidently far from being an
Improvement on dollar diplomacy"
This is especially true IN regard to
Mexico, upon whose borders the United
States hangs along a line of more than
1000 miles. and in whose internal dis
orders are buried mines of possible
grave moment to this country Whlcn
is confronted with actual, live, thrOD-
bling problems of policy and action that
cannot be solved by indifference by a
I .let-it-drift' spiritlesS attitude.
For more than four months new
! government has been in power IN
Mexico. 1t has been. recognized de
factO and de jure by all the great -Eu-
rOpean and Latin-American powers,
whose political. financial and CONNER
cial relations with Mexico are less i'm
pOrtant than those of the United States
Yet the Washington government while
keeping in Mexico City a duly accred-
tied ambassador, the dean Of the diplO-
matte corps there, has declared that
milton de iure, falling at the same time
to grant such recognition, or frank
do so.
Frank Expression Needed
I any frank statement of Washing
. tons attitude, clear expression OF
I the causes for withholding recOgnf-
I tiOn or what was wanted to Justify it.
l would have helped UNNECESSARILY TO
b G-GdL LLLt murray dLlICSp neEe- But even
Z this has not been forthcoming No
/ frankness has been shown and all
D Latin-America has come TO expect at
! least 1rankness from the United states
/ government
The administration attitude has
I forced an abnormal and strained situ-
] ter1aIly not only the interests OF
/ Americans in Mexico, but also of those
! IN the border states. and especially Of
/ Texans This obvious "let-it-drift
/ policy certainly is not solving any
[ thing, is cOmplicating rather than set
/ Ting the whole situation
/ Huertn constitutional President.
! There cannot be any legal ground
] for Withholding recognition, for the
J Huerta government is in every respect
/ constitutional government Upon
/ their arrest. MaderO and Pine Suarez
I resigned from the offices Of president
and vice president respectively Their
designations were accepted by congress
! sitting IN extraordinary session BY
I virtue Of article So, Of the Mexican
constitution, Pedro Lascurain. minis
I ter of foreign affairs, autOmati cally
/ became president ad interim In the
/ exercise OF his executive power he i'm
medlately appointed Gen NictOrianO
the vacancy leIt by the resignation OF
Rafael hernandez Subsequently Pedro
/ Lascurain formally resigned his Of
I flee and his resignation was accepted
. by congress Thus, automatically and
2 in accordance with the constitution,
the executive power deTOlVed upon
{
as Lne O11lce OF minister OF foreign re-
latiOns had been left vacant All this
was In strict compliance with the let
ter and spirit Of the Mexican COnsti-
ment OF LaScurain, chief of the Ma
CerO cabinet, the chamber OF deputies.
Dy the best legal talent of Mexico all
keen and conscientious in maintain
ing unbroken the cOnstitutiOnaGty of
Z the Mexican government.
As
II may be contended by those deny
ing the cOnstitutiOnality Of the Huerta
government that the foregoing proceed
lngS took place under revolutionary
coercion OF course neither POrfiriO
DlaZ nor MaderO resigned until forced
by a successful revolution. but both
their designations were equally effect
i've and the succeeding governments
equally constitutional There was not
the slightest question as to the con
suJuuOnauty OF de Ia Barra's prOvis-
lonal government under similar cir
Cumstances.
Moreover Madero's resignation was
( taken to congress by Lascurain, Ma
derO's friend and chief of cabinet and
was accepted by a congress in which
the Maderists held the balance OF
power
Huerta Officially Recognized.
Later, on April first last, at the for
NAL opening Of the ordinary session Of
congress this body with almost all of
its members present. formally recOg-
nized the COnSututiOnality of Huerta
as provisional president. In other
words the legislative and judicial pow
ers of the previous administration has
declared the cOnstitutiOnauty Of the
present one.
All this is known to the LEGAL tai
ents IN the state department at Wash
lngtOn which. ] understand. have ad-
ylsed president Wilson and secretary
bryan or the Iacr that there are no
legal grounds on which TO withhold
recognition But ] understand also
that president wilson's grounds for
Hn HT Ion -.e
ture, based on Information which has
not been free from bias and prejudice
United states OverstePs Rights.
After all, IL is not within the prov
ince of the United States government
to inquire into the morality or lack
of il of any foreign government That
Mexican congress is the only body au-
IhOrlzed to pass judgment upon this.
Provisional president Huerta cannot,
IN all fairness. be tried in Washington,
and If he could, he should be tried with
full knowledge and understanding OF
circumstances as they exist in Mexico,
and upon lrrefutable proofs
Meanwhile it is costing Americans
the good viii Of the great majority Of
MeNlcans and many millions Of dollars
But Washington seems TO care nothing
for this or future cOnseQuenceS-fOr
MeXicans will not soon forget who
were their friends in need.
Responsibility OF United States
SuppOsing-but not admitting-that
the recognition Of the Huerta govern
ment should be based purely on moral
grounds, regardless Of the practical and
legal side OF the question, what OF the
responsibility which is being put on
the United states and the moral issue
at stake2
Because by refusing to recognize the
present government Of Mexico. the
Washington administration is not re-
framing from taking sides In prac-
teal effect nOn-recOgnitiOn is against
the Huerta government and in favor
of the continuation Of rebellion, de-
structiOn and pillage, imperiIing the
many thousands of Americans in Mex
leo and on the border, and the $1,000
100000 of American capital invested
there
Playing Into Rebel Hands.
Every day that recognition is with
held. a prayer of thanksgiving is
breathed by those below the Rio
Grande, who see in a continued state
of disorder, an opportunity for self
seeking ambition.
The lawIess looting brigand calls
down blessings on Washington and
sets forth with accelerated gustO to
his days work of destruction and ra-
pine. An the forces of irrespOnsibility.
unbridled ambition and criminaIity are
encouraged and inspired by the atti-
tude of the United States. The only
power in Mexico that can possibly re-
store order and respect for authority
is in the same degree hindered and