The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-08-02
ADVOCATE FOR HuEBTA.
AMBASSADOR WILSON PERSUAD-
ING SENATE COMMITTEE.
He Holds Long Conference With For
eign Relations Committee and Pre-
sents Argument In Support of His
Plan to Recognize Huerta.

day with members of the senate COM
mittee on foreign relations resulted
IN stronger support for his plant to
recognize the Huerta government in
Mexico than he has received at any
time since reaching Washington. AZ
ter three hours questioning of the
ambassador, many members of the
senate committee tonight expressed
the opinion that serious consideration
should be given to his recommenda-
tions Of a guarded and restricted
recognition of Huerta, designed to
bolster up the present government
until elections can be held October 2G
The determination Of the govern
ment's main policy does not lie with
the senate, however, and there was
nothing in the situation tonight to-
indicate that President Wilson or Sec
retary Bryan had wavered in their
determination not to recognize the
Huerta gov '1ment at present.
The matter presented to the senate
committee by the ambassador already
had been laid before the president
and secretary of state and the atti-
tude against recognition had been
based upon information from other
confidential sources, many Of them at
variance with the reports of Ambas-
sador Wilson.
The conference at the capitol today
was distinctly a presentation Of mis-
side of the case" by the ambassador.
AS a result Of the generally favorable
impression he created, and the close
scrutiny and tentative approval given
his report by many members of the
committee 1t is believed the admins
tration will be urged = furnish the
senate committee at on,e with it's pri-
vate information gathered by Will
liam Bayard Hale, Reginald Devalle
and consular agents at various points.
Two principal points Of difference
have been developed between Ambas-
sadOr Wilson and the administration.
These relate to the present control Of
Huerta over Mexican affairs and to
conditions that would result from the
downfall of the Huerta government
Ambassador Wilson told the senate
committee the Huerta government
dominated affairs throughout the re-
public and had driven the constitU-
tionalists out Of many Of their strong
holds.
President Wilson, it is understood,
has information which he and Secre-
tary Bryan consider thoroughly relia-
BILE, showing the cOnstitutionalist
strength to be greatly in excess of
the estimates Of Ambassador Wilson
and indicating that the Huerta gov
ernment dominates the situation in
only a part of the republic.
The need for immediate recogni-
ton Of the Euerta government, as
laid before the committee by the ana
bassador was based on the belief
that President Huerta can not long
retain control of governmental ma
chinery under present conditions
Should the Huerta government fail,
in the opinion of Ambassador Will
son, conditions in the republic will
be worse than at present and Amer
lean lives and PROPERTY will be in
greater danger.
Ambassador Wilson made direct
recommendation for recognition of
the Mexican government, under GER
tain conditions and restrictions. These
would include an agreement for an
election October &c, to choose q per-
manent constitutional government;
proper guarantees for the protection
of American lives and property; a
satisfactory arrangement to insure the
payment of all present or future
claims for damages to Americans or
their property; the settlement OF sew
eral longstanding disputes between
this country and Mexico principally
AZ to boundary matters; and the des-
ignation of Mexican cabinet officer to
control the elections. whose character
would be a promise of fair dealing to
the constitutionalist forces.
President Huerta had assured him,
Ambassador Wilson told the commit
tee, that he would not again be a
candidate for president.
Ambassador Wilson told the COM
mittee he believed intervention high
~ undesirable. The method by which
tho United States could enforce a
guarantee for the payment of the
immense claims that will follow set
uemcnt of affairs in the republic was
discussed at length. one suggestion
was that the Mexican government
could secure the American claims
through temporary concession OF