The Washington herald., 1914-05-03

troops. These are facts which 1t prob
ably will be dif1cult for Huerta to ex-
plain.
II Is assumed in Washington that the
Mexican troops were detachment from
the 5000 that Gen. Mas is supposed
to have taken with him when he re-
treated from the Mexican port, after the
Americans had landed.
To Avoid Formal Proposals..
The announcement by the mediators
! that they had invited the United states.
Huerta. and Carranza to appoint rep
-resentatives for a conference with them
was the first definite hint of the proceed
ure that the South American diplomats
will follow I'm seeking TO bring about an
adjustment of the situation
They have adopred this method in or
der to avoid at the outset the submit
ting Of a set Of formal proposals by each
of the parties. With the United States
insisting upon the elimination of Huerta-
with Huerta demanding the evacuation
of Vera Cruz. and with Carranza stipu-
lating that tha constitutonalists must be
established in power in Mexico, there
would be grave danger Of an impasse at
the very start b..
There was, a suggestion tonight that
these conferences may be held in some
neutral country. Havana is being men
toned as the most likely place. There
is no. likelihood of the conferences being
held in any European capital.
No definite plans have been formulated
by the mediators as TO suggestions to be
laid before the representatives Of the
several parties. but the three South
American diplomats intend to continue
their effort to bring about internal
peace in Mexico, even IL Carranza and
Huerta are not able to reach an agree
ment for a cessation of hostilities.
May Choose New President.
1t is likely that among other things
a proposition will be discussed of choos-
ing a provisional President to direct the
affairs of Mexico, pending the holding Of
a Constitutional election and the quali1-
cation of the successful candidate. 1t
probably will be suggested that both
Huerta and Carranza resign the claims
which each holds as provisional Presi-
dent, and that a third person be desig-
mated.
The. mediators are still maintaining
a hopeful attitude, but other members
of the Diplomatic Corps in Washing
ton are much less sanguine. They be-
lieve that the flag incident between
Huerta and the United States can be
settled easily enough by peaceful
methods, If the negotiations are re-
stricted to that feature But when they
are enlarged to include the fight be-
tween Carranza and Huerta, and Presi-
dent wilson's insistence upon the re-
tiren.ent of the Mexican dictator and
the restoration of constitutional gov
ernment, difficulties of such formidable
proportions appear that these expert
enced diplomats are unable to see. how
they can be settled on common
ground.
Secretary OF State Bryan, having failed
in his effort to obtain CarranZas con-
sent to an agreement with Huerta for
the naturalization of the Tampico oil
zone, announced yesterday that an ar
rangeInent has been made which he ex-
poets will accomplish the same purpose.
CarxaIlza gave assurances to this govern
ment that he would not molest the oil
wells and would do everything in his
powefsto protect the men operating them.
Similar assurances were received yester-
day from the Mexican federal authori-
ties
{TampIco Wells Cushing.
British Ambassador, who has been par
ticularly urgent in its desire to have
these oil properties protected. Whether
or not Great Britain will be satisfied
with this arrangement was not made
known. The arrangement, however. does
not in any way alter the significance of
Carranza's refusal to enter into any
formal agreement with Huerta.
Information received here yesterday
was to the effect that one or two oil wells