The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1913-08-22
Situation More Acute Than
at Any Recent Time.
k,ElTHtR SlDt GAN RETREAT.
Foreign Advice Believed to Have In
fluenced Huerta to Receive Lind.
Ultimatum Story Emphatically
Denied-Serous CompIica-
tions Still EXIST.

Washington, Aug. 20.-That a crisis
has been reached in Mexican affairs
and that neither the American nor
Mexican government is III position
to retreat from its present policy with
out danger of humiliation to itself. is
the belief of men high in the con-
hdence of the administration.
The statement is unqualitiedly made
that at some period of the interview
between President Huerta and John
Lind. personal representative of Presi-
dent Wilson. which was held in Mexico
City. the offer of mediation in Mexico
was courteously but firmly refused.
Owing to delays in the transmission
Of official news from Mexico, the au-
thorities are not clear ut this time
whether or not President Huerta ut
later interview Indicated to Mr.. Lind
more cordial feeling. 1t was stated
here on excellent authority that this
government will await complete adj
vices from Mexico before taking any
further steps and that the question
Of making public the original instruc-
tions given to Mr.. Lind will be de-
termined at that time also.
Members of congress of wide eX.
perience in such matters as the MeXi
can situation privately asserted that,
In their opinion, President Huerta had
destroyed the value of the Lind mis-
sion in his original ultimatum as to
the undesirability of Mr.. Lind's pres
ence in Mexico.
Foreign Advice to Huerta.
1t is stated on the same authority
that foreign powers undoubtedly per-
suaded President Huerta to receive
] Mr.. Lind and President Wilson's mes
sage. but that they did not attempt
TO swerve the original judgment of the
Mexican president as announced be-
fore Mr.. Lind's arrival.
The mistake i'll the policy of the ad-
ministration, as they see it, lay in the
fact that at the time the original crisis
arrived this government had no def
mite policy, and was therefore unable
to take the initiative before other
governments actually recognized the
| Huerta government. This situation. it
is now said, has placed the administrd-
tion at a disadvantage in future nego
tiations, If there are to be any.
1t is stated that the reception ac
corded Mr. Lind by President Huerta
was the acme of courtesy itself. Presi
dent Haerta is declared to have ex
pressed his entire confidence in the
good faith of the American govern
ment and in Mr.. Lind personally, but
there exists excellent reasons for stat
ing that President Huerta was nont
the less explicit in his refusal of al
offers of mediation.
In fact, it is declared here In some
quarters that his attitude was known
in administration circles and that h'
acceded to the request to receive Mr.
Lind personally only as an act of en-
tire courtesy to the government.
Uutimatum Story Denied.
An absolute denial, authorized b.
Provisional President Huerta of Mex
leo, of the report that Mexico has de
livered an ultimatum to the UniteC
States demanding recognition wa
made public at the White House yes
terday. The denial was immediatel,
telephoned to Secretary Bryan at hi
home. 1t served to relieve the tension
under which the leaders of the admin
istration were laboring as n result o
earlier advices which apparently mad
it plain that the policy of the admins
tration with respect to Mexico ha,
been defeated and that serious conse
quences were in sight