The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1906-2016, 1913-11-20
SOME CHEAP SHARPNESS.

Small and cheap, no doubt, but in
It's way and measure, smart is the
play Huerta has been making to pre-
serve the precarious hold he has grip
ped by betrayal and blood upon
the government of Mexico. He has
swung from limb to limb OF a roting
tree with interesting agility, and his
antics are decidedly entertaining, and,
after a fashion, deserving applause
They can scarcely affect the serious
purpose OF the world nor alter the
course of broad craftsmanship that
has been set by President Wilson, but
they are, none the Tess, indicative OF
certain impish ability that cannot
pass without appreciation, though
they do not win approval
The latest trick of the Mexican die
tator is to pivot his refusal to con
slider Mr. Wilson's recent warming or
the declination Of the leader of the
constitutionalists to enter into any
greement that will involve assistance
by the United States to those in arms
against Huerta's government. As
matter Of fact, the United States has
not made any offer to support or even
to recongnize the constitutionalists
but neither Huerta nor CarranZa care
about that. In both the purpose is the
same, to make demonstration of in
tense patriotism that will win the APP
plause of their ignorant followers and
hold loyalty to themselves OF the fac
tionalists who are striving for tho
dominance Of Mexico. All accounts in
dictate that Carranza is very good
sort OF person as standards of judg
ment are set in Mexico, but he knows
how to play the Mexican game, too,
and II is not very big game. He
would lose caste with his own faction
ii II were thought he was to give his
interest to an invader from the north
and such a course would doubtless
make many of the rebels In arms UNI
der him turn to the Huerta govern
ment. Nothing more natural, there
fore, than that he should repudiate q
suggestion that has not been made to
him that the United States might back
his enterprise. There may be some
thing, too, IN the idea that the prize
or power in Mexico should be preserv
ed for local competition only. Carran-
"a Is to take no chance on the elimin4-
don OF lIuerta bringing any othac
than himself into supreme power.
But, however that may be or what
ever caused his declaration, 1t is the
employment that Huerta has made OF
1t that is, for the moment interesting
as evidence of the ability OF the de
| tator to turn to his uses any incident
4 that may come to hand, Determined
/ to retain his hold until 1t is forcibly
broken, one pretext served as well as
another to justify in words his persist
ence. II tho CarranZa declaration had
not been available something else
would have been found on which Huor
ia would have hung some of his impu-
| dcnce, but there is the same sort oil
cleverness in the use of this inciden;
as there was in the Gamboa note to
Lind, answering the first definite de
mand that Hucrta should not be a can
didate for the presidency. In that
note 1t was pointed out, with an at
tempt to be patronizing that the Mex
lean constitution forbade the election
Of Gen Huerta, the intimation being
that Washington had exhibited an in
lexcusable ignorance in making point
that was wholly unnecessary. TIL,
same flavor is found in Huerta's acl
CT holding an election, as he haJ
promised, and holding ii in such fash
ion and to such end that he remains
at the head OF the government.
II is in the highest degree distur,
ing that nations interests and 5
great principle of human government
should be played upon such cheai
scale, but il must be admitted that
lluerta is very skillful at tho game
bound as ii is to be a losing one il
the end,
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