Imperial Valley press., 1913-12-20

the elections would be held notwith-
standing the American objections, but
President Wilson took care to make
known his views on the situation be-
fore the polling day arrived. Gov
ernment stained by blood cannot en-
dure," he said at Swarthmore, Pa, on
October 25. Two days later at Mo-
bile, Ala, President Wilson, without
mentioning Mexico, enunciated CO.
rollary of the Monroe doctrine which
promises to mark its most distinctive
and significant development since the
Venezuelan boundary dispute during
the Cleveland administration.
The Presidents Position
Subsequent development indicated
that the president had the British oil
interests in mind when he said:
Estates that are obliged, because
their territory does not lie within the
main field of modern enterprise and
action, to grant concessions are in
this condition, that foreign interests
are apt to dominate their domestic af-
fairs; condition of affairs always
dangerous and apt to become intol-
erable.
"What those states are going to
see, therefore, is an emancipation
from the subordination, which has
been inevitable, to foreign enterprise
and an assertion of the splendid char
acter which, in spite of these difficult
Ties, they have again and again been
able to demonstrate.
"They have had harder bargains
driven with them in the matter of
loans than any other people in the
world. Interest has been eXacted of
them that was not exacted of anybody
else, because the risk was said to be
greater; and then securities were
taken that destroyed the risk-an ad-
mirable arrangement for those who
were forcing the terms!
Human rights, national integrity
and opportunity as against material
interests-that, ladies and gentlemen,
is the issue which we now have to face.
l want to take this occasion to say
that the United States will never
again seek one additional foot of ter
ritory by conquest. She will devote
herself to showing that she knows
how to make honorable and fruitful
use of the territory she has; and she
must regard it as one of the duties
of friendship to see that from no
quarter are human interests made SUI
perior to human liberty and national
opportunity"
The October Election
President Huerta had declared that
although he was not candidate he
had heard that some friends would
vote for him anyway, and that if they
did it in large number he would hold
the elections void.
The election on October 26 was
farce. The federal garrisons cast their
votes for Huerta. Although there
seems to have been no count, it was
indicated that Gamboa came second
and Felix Diaz a poor third. The
constitutionalists refused to recognize
the election as legal and did not vote.
President Huerta declared the cleo
tion void so far as president and vice
president were concerned, but legal as
to congress, a view in which the
Washington government refused to
agree. President Wilson felt that
Huerta sought only prolongation of
his dictatorship and in line with the
policy outlined in the Mobile speech
gave notice to him and to the world
that the United States would refuse
to recognize as valid any concessions
made by the new congress which
Huerta assembled and addressed with
assurances that he would proceed to
the pacifcation of the country.
Although the state department at
Washington and the foreign office at
London maintained outward calm the
press comment on both sides of the
Atlantic began to strain Anglo-A Amer
lean friendship. The British prime
minister, Mr.. Asquith, cleared the air
with speech at the lord mayors
banquet on November 10. He said:
"Mexico is still in the throes of civil
war, but there never was and never
will be any question by Great Britain
in the domestic concerns of Mexico
or in the Central American or South
American states.
"It is no part of our duty to pre-
vent or to control civil wars. The ut
most that we can do is to give what
protection is possible on the coast to
British subjects and property"
Mr.. Asquith insisted that since