New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-05-15
The Fall of Tampico Likely to De-
range the Mediation Programme.

The capture OF Tampico by the Consttutonahs'
proceedings at Niagara Falls. with the ios' VI
Tampico Huerta has now only one lonely outpost
left in Northeastern Mexico Federal army Is
still defending Saltlo but It's situation Is desperate
s,roe q "a already shut In on three sides and It's
only avenue Of retreat-that to San Luis fo'osl-
Is menaced il not actually closed, by the Cons'tu
tonalists
ssIti,Io cannot he expected to hold out much
,ror Whom II surrenders or is evacuated the
whole Of Northern Mexico, except the Gulf OF call
forna seaport Guaymas will be In the hands OF 'ne
revoutionists, and they will replace the federaiis'S
as the most important factor to be dealt Win LII 'ne
settlement of the Mexican problem
villa and Carranza have gained enormously IN
prestige and Middle Mexico Will now he likely 10
turn against Huerta and favor them. pracncaiiy
unopposed march TO Mexico City lies before tnem i
tbev destroy or capture the Saltillo garrison Daz
o,t the Presidency in Maderos favor before he had
,,orod bo, tho reverses in the north which Huerta
has already suffered. The latter is more OBSTINATE
and desperate In character. Yet that he realizes
his plight is evident from his reported preparations
70 abandon the capital II hard pushed, and to make
bis ens, stand at Puebla, between Mexico City and
Vera Cruz
The Constitutionalist government, so rapidly e1
tending It's sway. is not to be represented IN the
Niagara Falls conference. The United States VIII
no dealing there with a Mexican administration
which NAV soon lose all really national character
istics What benefit would 1t be to conclude death
bed agreement with the Huerta government? Any
compact which he would sign would represent only
q RAPIDLY diminishing fraction Of the Mexican peo-
ple 1t might be a little more than legacy OF
revolution
President Wilson is prudent, therefore, In con-
filming within the narrowest possible limits the au-
thoritv Of the representatives Of the United States
i'm the mediation negotiations. They are merely TO
report back to Washington the suggestions OF the
mediators From the diplomatic as well as the mill
tary point of view Huerta is now pretty effectuaiy
bottled up The more urgent task of the situation
is IN define the attitude Of the United States toward
the insurgent movement. The Constitutionalists,
with Gulf port in their possession can claim the
right to import arms and ammunition from abroad,
and it is hard TO on what pretext this country
could shut off such importations General Villa is
now arguing In favor of joint commission to SUI
pervise the importation of arms and munitions of
war across the American boundary line, and in
view Of his correct and friendly stand after the
seizure Of Vera Cruz the administration Is hardly
in a position to deny him the benefits of the COM
handing position in Mexican politics which he has
now won.
Mediation Is a much different proposition to-day
from what it was when the A c powers rendered
their good offices. There is little hope Of any sou-
ton of the Mexican problem at Niagara Falls which
fails to include the Consttuonaists at present the
chief factor In the Mexican situation