River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1914-04-23
WASHINGTON LETTER
FROM JAMES A. FREAR, MEMBER OF
CONGRESS-, 10th DISTRICT

whether hi nut may nc
cracked within tWenty-four hours
or another year of Watchful wait
ing will be again experienced.
offs" are abundantly in evidence.
If we had recognized Huerta at the
outset, it would have been easier
for Uncle Sam, who has assumed
to be policeman Of the Western
hemisphere by virtue of the Mon
o Doctrine. Huerta's govern
ment could then have been held
responsible for all outrages com
mitted South of the Rio Grande.
1t is by no means certain that Vii
la, Carranza or other Mexican
leaders who are now using Ameri-
can rifles to drive refugees across
the river into Texas, will be much
better.
This seems to be the general
opinion of the present situation,
nor is it an easy problem to han
die when confronted with the fact
that probably 80 per cent of the
people across the border r ig-
%norant, very poor and abnormally'
suspicious of the intentions Of our
government.
The arrest of several American
sailors at Tampico was only one
Of a series of indignities that has
been shown Americans by the
Huerta government, and from all
reports the arrest, while insign-
ificant in itself, was a last straw
to Admiral Mayo, the American
Commander. 1t is also true that
American citizens appear to have
been especially marked for express
sions of dis favor by the Huerta
government, according to a state
ment made to me by a Represent
ative who was called in for con-
~sultation by the President after
the departure of the fleet.
A peculiar angle to the Mexican
controversy from the same source
is to the effect that while Secre-
tary Of State Bryan has been hui
morously styled the watchful, wait
ing Admiral in command of the
two superdreadnaughts, Friend
ship and Good Fellowship,he push
ed aside his world peace chart fer
the time and was n of the first
to demand a twenty-one gun sal
- c~-. TT,01401r 4nr0 81 hnofc
because of the arrests in TampicO.
The arrests we're shown to be n
authorized and the responsible
Mexican officer was reprimanded
by his superior, according to this
same authority, but the fleets de-
parture was based upon the gen
eral sentiment towards Americans
shown by Huerta's government,
rather than because of the Tam
pico incident alone.
Nearly a year ago | wrote you
that it is we'll to remember the
Spanish war was precipitated by
the blowing up of the Maine. In
the present instance an arrest of
American sailors, although unau-
thorized, might have served as a
reason for armed Intervention. 1t
is an open secret that President
Wilson is thoroughly dissatisfied
with O'Shaughnessy, the American
Minister to Mexico and Onslaught
messy would have been recalled
but for the fact that it is neces-
sary to have some representative
on the ground for the protection
of all foreigners for whom the
country must act. Again the Mon
roe Doctrine is to the front.
To recall O'Shaughnessy and ap-
point another in his place would
be construed as an afficial recog-
milton of Huerta's government,
something the Administration has
been trying to avoid; so there you
have it in a nut shell.
Whether or not President Will
son has been mistaken in his judg-
ment when he refused to recognize
Huerta or when he permitted the
Constitutionalists to secure arms
and ammunition or in any other
move made on the Mexican chess
board, one thing is sure. he will
have a united Congress to sup
port him. An occasional critic will
rise TO express his disapproval of
the Presidents Mexican policy, but
the belief is general that the Adj
ministration is seeking to avoid
bloodshed and yet maintain our
national honor. For this reason,
however mistaken his Judgment
may turn out to be, he will be
backed up by all parties whenever
he calls for aid.
We baua a Emifad amount Of