Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1913-12-12

OF the northern tier of Mexican states,
runningzfrom the gulf of Mexico to the
gulf of California In this order: Ia
maulipas. Coahuila. Chihuahua and So
nora.
These states have an area of 262,-
645 square miles-a stretch of territory
only 1000 square miles less than
Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire,
Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connect
lieut., New York, New Jersey, Pennsyl-
vania, West Virginia, Ohio and Indiana
combined.
Victoria has a population of 10000
and the four border states more than
100000 inhabitants.
Carranza's control of Tamaulipas is
important because that state adjoins
the state of Vera Cruz, which contains
the principal Mexican seaport ON the
gulf of Mexico.
All bridges between Victoria and
Tampico have been destroyed, as well
as tracks north of Victoria.
There was great jubilation at Consti-
nationalist headquarters over the vic
tories reported, following so closely
the recent capture of Topic. capital of
the state of that name, situated on the
gulf of California. and of Juarez, the
important port of entry across the Rio
Grande from Ell Paso.
Plans For Peace Fail.
The administration had hoped by
means of some arrangement with Gen
eral Carranza. the rebel leader, to
evade drastic action to get Huerta out
of the government.
This plan having failed, there is left
only the alternative of actually push
ing Huerta out of the presidency by
arms or abandoning the plan of forcing
him out and relying on the course of
events inally-to bring about the same
result.
The feeling that the country is not
yet prepared to support an energetic
and vigorous program for enforcing
the presidents dictum that Huerta
must go has been a very large factor
In the administrations decision to
leave the situation to itself for the
present.
1t is recognized at Washington that
there is. no desire among the people of
the United States generally for a war
with Mexico, and the president is con-
WINGED that he will have to furnish
very excellent reasons If in his ham
ding of the situation he should decide
upon armed Intervention.
The greatest obstacle to the present
policy of letting the Mexican business
drift along again is, of course, the at
titude of the European governments.
The United States got their promise to
hold off with respect to Mexico until
President Wilson could define his pol
icy, but they are not under any pledge
to support that policy.
1t was recalled that everything
President Wilson has done with re-
spect to Mexico has been the result of
pressure from Europe, which has been
long anxious for the execution of a
program calculated to bring to an end
the present intolerable conditions In
that country.
For six months they have been led to
believe that the United States was
about to effect an adjustment of the
situation, but matters are aggravated
rather than composed.
1t is believed more than likely that
objections may be lodged by European
powers if another protracted period of
inaction in regard to Mexico ensues
With a squadron of European war
ships in Mexican waters, the position
of the United States will not be ad-
vantageous for the ignoring Of such
objections upon the part of Europe.
Something About Huerta.
BY common report General Huerta,
Mexico's present dictator, is much