The Washington times., 1914-04-15
THE MEXICAN CRISIS.

Without the same complete krowl-
edge of the facts that is possessed
by the Administration, it is i'm
possible to go far in discussion of it's
newest move in Mexico. 1t is natural
enough to wonder why the demon
stration in force, possibly the prelude
to Intervention, should be made a
policy at this time, after Washing
ton has exercised patience and re-
straint through many months of
provocation which often seemed even
graver than that of the Tampico in
cident of the marines.
But it is not necessary to assume,
as many people too promptly do,
that the use of force at Tampico just
at this time is equivalent to inter-
vertion. The Washington Govern
ment has demanded an apology, and
made its demand in the form of an
ultimatum. Suppose it should chance
that Huerta's purpose would be best
served, at the moment, by having
the United States intervene? Sup
pose the dictator realizes, in view of
his long succession of military re-
verses, that he is near the end of his
rope? Suppose he calculates that he
could with better grace accept de-
feat and election at the hands. of the
United States than at the hands of
Villa? Suppose, even, that he has
been impressed that his own life
would not be worth a pinch of snuff
if the constitutionalists should cap
ture him along with Mexico City?
In such circumstances-and these do
not seem impossible considerations
would not Huerta be delighted to
have the United States intervene :?
Would he not be pretty certain to
withhold the apology that has been
demanded, so as to force the hand
of President Wilson?
But, on the other hand, it is not
necessary to assume that the use OF
force, or the show of force, would be
intervention. There are two federal
gunboats at Tampico, which consti-
tute the most effective part of the
Huerta defense of the city. If the
American fleet should go in and seize
these two vessels, take them out
side, and hold them where they would
be useless to Huerta, Tampico would
surely fall very soon. The fall of
that city would be crushing blow
to Huerta; yet it would have been
delivered, not by the United States,
but by Villa. Our Government
would merely have taken the reces-
sary measures to maintain it's self
respect after it's demand for an
apology had been refused. We would
not be committed to Intervention at
all, and could retire gracefully
enough and leave the Carranzistas
to go ahead with their business of
finishing Huerta. The move would
have aided greatly in hurrying the
end, without at the same time COM
mitting this Government in any way
to the support of Carranza and his
program of reconstructing Mexico.
There will be, of course, surlnise
that President Wilson is creating a
diversion in order to give the coun-
try something new to think ard talk
about at a time when his domestic
policies are showing signs of MAX
ing less conclusive appeal to the
public than they formerly did. Per-
haps the President, whose astuteness
as politician is not nowadays be-
ing very generally questioned, is
willing to use the navy ard make a
little appeal to national pride and
| jingo sentiment, in order to divert
thought from other matters. That
might be done without at all COM
mitting us to intervention.