Mexico Missouri message., 1914-07-23
HuERTA LASTED
ONLY One YEAR
after WARNING
His Flight Follows Twelve Months
of What May Be Called
lettering.
FALL CERTAIN FROM FIRST
in the Absence Of Recognition by the
United States II Was Recognized
That the Dictator Wouid BE
Unable to Retain Power.


Washington--Just one year has
elapsed since President Wilson an
nounced that his Mexican policy then
consisted OF the edict that "Huerta
must co." and assured the American
nublic that the Mexican president was
"totterng," and soon would fall.
For the first four months Of Presi-
dent Wilson's administration he was
absolutely silent regarding the Mexl-
can situation, though It gradually be-
came known that he did not intend
10 grant official recognition to the HUI
erta government. Late In June, 1913,
representatives of a number of Euro
pean powers drew up a letter of pro-
test, in which 1t was declared that
the United States had largely contrib
uted to the nnarchical conditions in
Mexico and that 1t ought either to rec
ognize the Huerta government and dis
courage the revolution or assume re-
sponsibility for the pacification Of
Mexico. This joint document reached
the hands of President Wilson, and re-
suited In action by him.
Lind Sent to Mexico.
Henry Lane Wilson, hold-over am
bassador to Mexico, was recalled, and
after a scant hearing at the White
House was asked to resign. John
Lind, former colleague Of Secretary
Bryan In the house of representatives
and former governor of Minnesota,
was designated the presidents conf
Dental agent and sent to Mexico in
an endeavor to get Huerta's sanction
TO plan for his elimination.
Mr.. Lind presented four proposals to
President Huerta, through his minis
ter of foreign affairs, the Mexican
president declining TO receive the
American .emissary because he had no
CREDENTIALS. These proposals, or rath-
er demands, we're for:
The resignation of Huerta.
Thu establishment of provisional
government, pending the holdings OF
elections.
The elimination of Huerta as a can
didate for the presidency by election.
lut COuCluSlOu VI al al lulotiSc NO
tween the contending forces
U. S. Backs Down.
In the correspondence that ensued
the United States receded from its
proposals one by one until there re-
NAMED only the demand that Huerta
be not a candidate in the elections due
to be held in the fall 1t was general
ly conceded that in the Lind CORE
spondence Huerta's foreign minister
FREDERICK Gamboa, had decidedly the
best OF 1t, and the administration was
finally left to content itself with Gam
boa's statement that certainly Huerta
could not be candidate to succeed
himself because of a constitutional
prohibition to that effect, as the net re
suit Of the Lind discussions
President Wilson addressed con
gress on the subject Immediately upon
policy OF patience. while Lind went
to Vera Cruz, where he remained al
most continuously. playing the role Of
reporter to the president until April
last
Soon thereafter William Bayard
Hale, the presidents campaign biog
rapher, who had also been serving In
Mexico City, as an unofficial observer
Tor the president, was assigned on an
other secret mission and went to the
Mexican border to ascertain the pur
pose and character of the Constitu
uonalists
U. S. Backs tho Rebels.
His reports, combined with other in
formation possessed by the president
are considered to have been chiefly re
sponsible for the presidents decision
70 back the Constitutionallsts just al
lar as possible This policy of sup
port for the revolutionists was never
omcially announced, but became In
creasingly evident
meantime Huerta had found, so 4
was officially asserted in Mexico City
mat the congress, consisting largely
OF Maderistas, was conspirlng agains
n'm and defeating his governmental
projects. He accordingly, In October
arrested large number OF the deputies
"uu put them in prison, where man!
VI mem remained for considerable pc
riods' He declared himself a virtua
DICTATOR. pending, he said, the cleo
IONS at which new congress was t
DE- chosen and candidates for presiden
voted upon.