The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-08-08
THE MEXICAN RESENTMENT.

II is not to be wondered at that the
Mexican government resents the un-
official character of the "personal rep
resentative' which President Wilson
has sent there to ''spy out the land. -
1t is distinctly stated that Mr.. Lind
will not be welcome in that country un-
less he comes accredited to and recog-
nizcs the established government there,
and to open official relations between
that government and this: indeed, that
is the only official basis upon which
Mr.. Lind can be received at ali in
Mexico. Without that. he is merely
visiting tourist, whose presence is of
no consequence. and TO whom official
dom can make no representation and
from whom il can receive no communi
cation.
The Bryan telegram. which is sent in
response TO the order made public by
Senor Manuel Carza Aldape, the Mexi-
can Minister of Public Instruction, who
is also acting as Minister of Foreign
Affairs, is based on the idea that the
under a misapprehension There can
be no misapprehension on the main
point. If Mr.. Lind is not there to
recognize the Mexican government,
then he has no functions, whatever in
Mexico; but from the statements con.
stantly made in Washington, he is not
there in that sort OF capacity. What
ever officialdom he may represent is
not an officialdom which the Mexican
government can recognize: for it is a
sort of back-alley mission which he
has undertaken, and which does not
approach the Mexican government, but
undertakes TO flank il and TO evade
the real point at issue.
1t is stated that it is not thought in
Washington that Huerta will snub
Lind OF course not; but if Lind has
no official business with Huerta, then
Huerta will have none with Lind.
1t is clear that the recognition by
this country Of the government which
has been established in Mexico, is
due, that establishing being in no
changes of government in that coun
try, and certainly not in the least diff |
ferent from the treachery, turbulence,
and bloodshed which attended the as
cendancy of Yuan Shi Kai in China, |
which did not keep us from recogniz-
ing his de facto government, just as
it should not keep us from recognizing |
Huerta; therefore it is our clear in
duty to recognize the de |
facto government of Huerta. For, we |
cannot expect that Mexico, or any
other foreign government, will con-
duct its affairs upon our own models,
or submit its action to our criticism,
applied upon our own standard.
1t is an unfortunate situation all |
through, and especially unfortunate in
the precedent that it recalls where
President Cleveland sent his personal
to the Hawaiian Repub.
lie under President Dole of Hawaii,
with secret instructions to haul down
the American flag and withdraw the |
support OF our government from the
TSNOluJlOnlSlS VINO ndu OVeTtnrOWn
Queen Lilioukalani. That was a piece
Of trcacherous diplomacy, which in
fact. so far as the "personal represent
ative' business is concerned, is di.
rectly in point. What Mr.. Lind is in.
structed to do in Mexico need not be
the same thing as what Mr.. Blunt was
instructed to do in Hawaii; but at
least the precedent is disquieting, and
President Huerta cannot be blamed if
he resents this personal representative
in view Of the Hawaiian
precedent. For the personal represen-
Lative of the President is shown upon
that precedent TO be a diplomat hostile
10 the established government to which
he goes.
And so viewing il, President Huerta
will be quite justified in refusing TO
receive Nj. Lind or TO have any rcla-
lions whatever with him. We have
clearly got into an indcfcnsible posi-
ion with respect TO this Mexican en-.
.anglement, and the sooner we either
ct Mexico alone altogether or acknowl-
,dge the accomplished facts there. the
better we shall be off, and the brighter
Will be the prospects for establishing
'rder and peace in that unhappy coun-
.ry.