Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-08-25
The Mexican Situation.

Upon the events of the next tWenty-four
hours much depends as to the Mexican
crisis which is believed to be approaching.
President Wilson has announced that he
will on Tuesday communicate with Con-
gress in special message, to be delivered
personally, as is his custom. setting forth
the situation with regard TO the negotia-
tons between the United States and the
Huerta government looking to the restor-
alton of order in that republic through the
establishment OF constitutional govern
nlent. 1t is definitely understood that the
President has in effect notified the au-
thorities at Mexico City that they have
until the delivery Of this message 10 ac-
cede to the American propositions, which.
it is generally believed, involve the retire
rnent of Huerta from authority and his
elimination from the campaign as a can
didate for election.
In one sense this is in the nature of an
ultimatum to Huerta, and yet in another
1t lacks the essentials of an ultimatum in
that it does not carry with it an aiterna-
tive. Nothing has been intimated as to
what will happen in case Huerta refuses
10 reopen the negotiations supposedly
stooCu tLC OtHCl udS AHtu tiC ISjcCtcu Tie
proposals of this government made
through Special Representative Lind. No
suggestion has been offered that the
United States will intervene by force of
arms if this plan is not followed Indeed,
intervention appears to be far from the
purpose of the United States, the sole OBJ
Ject of which in its latest maneuver in
undertaking to deal directly with a gov
eminent which it has not formally recog-
lIized has been to put the possibility of
intervention farthest away from the
range of its activity.
Two factors are evident in this peculiar
situation. making for the possible ac-
cedence of Huerta in the proposals of
President Wilson. One is the reported
support given to the American plan by
the European powers and the other is the
lack of funds at Mexico City, where the
treasury is reported to be virtually empty.
It is b. no means surprising to find the
European governments standing in sup
port of the present efforts of the United
States to restore order through Huerta' s
retirement, inasmuch as they have large
stakes in Mexico and are DESTROYS Of
the establishment of peace for their own
sakes regardless of the prestige of the
United States or any other power. Fur
thermore, the adnlittance Of the European
nations to even a moral part I'm the pa
cite coercion of Huerta is doubtless
pleasing to them, inasmuch as 1t is In
effect a weakening of the traditional po-
sition of the United States regarding for
e.gn Intervention on this hemisphere.
That the situation in Mexico may be
resolved without the employment of force
IS the earnest wish of all Americans. To
the extent that President Wilson is sue
cessful in accomplishing this result, even
temporarily, he will be given great credit
But 1t is to be borne in mind that he is
running very grave risk of lessening
the prestige of the United States in Latin
America through the failure OF moral
pressure. The situation would be more
gratifying IL there We're any assurance
that with the elimination of Huerta as q
personal factor would come the restora-
ton of stable constitutional government
in Mexico \ large element has yet to be
considered apart from Huerta himself
and his adherents, namely, the so-called
consttutionalists now engaged III wide
spread and In large measure n success
ful resolution against the federal authori-
ties. Whether the elimination OF Huerta
will bring them into harmonious agree
ment with his faction upon a program Of
constitutional administration through
elective processes Is a question that only
events can answer.