The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-07-26
NO ARMS FOR MEXICO.
OF MUNITIONS FROM
UNITED STATES PKOHIBITEu.
Hucrta Government Placed on Same
Footing as the Constituencies
and II is Hoped Thereby To Bring
an End to uOstiliticS.


Washington, July 23.-President
ton in the present Mexican revo oig-
tion shall obtain arms or ammuni, >.
from the United States and that neu-
trality must be observed in it's strict
est sense. This was the interpreta-
ton Of the neutrality laws decided
upon by the president today after
conferences with Senator Bacon and
Representative Flood, chairman of the
two congressional committees on for
eign relations.
While the Mexican rebels have been
getting no arms heretofore, today's
development means that the Huerta
administration will be deprived of the
privilege previously accorded the Ma
dcro government and that the United
states will treat all sides alike in the
present dispute.
The situation was preCipitaed by
the repeated complaints of constitu-
tionalists and their sympathizers in
this country that if the United States
did not vitality assist the Huerta gov
ernmcnt by selling it munitions OF
war, a termination of hOstilities would
be possible. Sentiment in favor of a
new policy grew in congress to such
extent that today a canvass was made
of the committees in both houses deal
ing with foreign relations.
1t WAS found there would be little
objection to repeating the Joint reso-
luton of March II, 1912, which gives
the president discretionary power to
prohibit expectations of arms or mu-
nitiOns of war to countries where do
mestic violence existed, but permits
him To allow the legally constituted
goVernE ent Of any country to buy
war supplies DIS usual. Senator Bacon,
however, reiterated as he left the
White House today that the Huerta
administration could not be Consid-
cred as the legitimate successor of the
Madcro regime or ii legally consti-
tutcd government
The ConstitutiOnalistS representa-
tives here had protested to the state
department that inasmuch as the
Hucrta government had not been rec
Ognized it ought not to obtain arms.
This construction of the case found
favor in official circles. and while the
repeal of the resolution of March L.
1912, was considered by administra-
tion officials as one way Of equalizng
conditions, it was decided that the
same purpose could be observed by
denying ammunition to all factions.
There nevertheless is firm feeling in
barge on arms and giving both sides
an equal opportunity TO equip them
selves. This sentiment finds favor es-
peCially among those who believe that
the Carranza rebels have public Opin-
ion behind them in Mexico and if
given the arms with which to supply
their large uncquipped forces, the
revolution would end speedily in
their favor.
For the present. however, the ad-
ministration will issue orders to it's
agents everywhere to keep arms from
entering the rcbcllion-torn country.
This will interfere materially with the
plans of the Hucrta forces, since or
ders for large supplies of arms and
ammunition are said to have been
placd recently with firms in the Unit
ed States
Although the COnStitutionalists hold
no Seaports of consequence, they have
demoralzed the railroad systems, and
it would he difficult for the federals
to get munitions transported into the
interior after importing them from
Europe.
Tho president Canvasscd other
phases of the Mexican situation with
Messrs Bacon and Flood, who said
later that no action of any kind OF
pronounCemCnt of policy was likely
until after Ambassador Wilson had
conferred with administration Off
cials here.
Acting Secretary Roosevelt confer
red this afternoon with Rear Admiral
Frank T.. Beatty, commander of the
fourth division Of the Atlantic fleet,
who has Just returned with his flag
ship, tn" Minnesota, from a tour of
duty in the gulf Mr.. Roosevelt said
mt"rward that the conference was
entirely unofficial and informal: that