Evening journal., 1914-04-20
MONDAY APR. 20. 1914.
MEXIcO REFrsEs UNCONDITIONAL sALUTE.

NEAliO NEFiStN bNNVNDillVNAAI oAbOiLs
N RESIDENT WILSON'S utmatum to President
i Huerta of Mexico has failed to produce the de-
sired result Huerta refuses TO fire unconditional
salute the American nag reparation for the ma
tional insult which inflicted when American blue
Jackets were arrested in Tampco The Mexican die
tator denies that there any insult to the Amer
lean flag He says the American flag was not
flying from the launch in which the blueiackets
landed that the blueackets released
before an investigation made and the Fed
cra officer who ordered the arrests arrested and
put on trial for what he had done. I'm behalf Of Mex
leo President Huerta through his foreign minister,
saws the Mexican Government willing to sign q
protocol providing that both flags be saluted the
American dag first and the Mexican flag second He
adds however. that as the United States Government
has refused TO sign such protocol, Mexico has
yielded as much as her dignity will permit and she
places her trust lin the fair-mindedness and spirit
Of Justice of the American people"
President Wilson has retorted by laying the facts be-
fore Congress, rushing more warshps to Mexico and
making preparation for the movement Of land forces
In short war is so imminent that only quick change
OF front on the part Of Huerta avoid IT, and he
seems to court a conflict The Mexican dictator will
discover that with the campaign against him once
opened, President Wilson Will have behind him the
support Of the whole American people
There are many Americans who do not like the idea
OF the United States acknowledging the salute to the
American flag with a salute Of corresponding num-
ber guns to the Mexican flag. Such return salute
would not. however violate precedent Following the
insult the French flag resulting, sixty years ago
from the arrest OF NJ Dillon French consul in San
Francisco, it stipulated expressly, following an
expression OF regret by the United States Govern
ment that when a French national ship or squadron
shall appear in the harbor of San Francisco the United
States authorities there, military naval will salute
the national flag borne by such ship squadron
with national salute at hour to be specified and
agreed on with the French naval commanding officer
present and the French national ship squadron
whose flag thus saluted will the salute gun
for gun"
The meat Of the whole situation IS that President
Huerta must be compelled TO recede from his lofty
and evasive attitude, and make apology without
ceivng recognition for his government War between
this country and Mexico sure. The Mex
leans Federas and Consututionalists must be
taught at last that the American flag and Americans
must be respected
The firing OF a return salute would not meet with the
approval Of many Americans. TO the mind of most
persons. however, it would not much Of the
sting felt by Mexico in being compelled to
apologize avoid a war that could result only in
the greater hum iliaton Of that small impoverished
and rerouuon-racked country In fact such a conflict
would be like naval pageant and military pa
rade than real and Americans would gain little
satisfaction from it.
IN the main the people OF the United States are
behind President Wilson in the policy he is pursuing
though they may not agree with him in some Of
ts details.
American patience had been exhausted long
before the inficton OF the national insult by
Huerta's soldiers in Tampico. Temporizing on
this side Of the Rio Grande had ceased to be
virtue. It needed only something in the nature
' the Tampco incident the hand of the United
States Government and lead to action.
II Huerta had been wise, he would have made the
of had situation bv ordering the firing Of the
salute with celebrity that would have taken che sting
put of the insult and the apology Instead he did the
worst possible thing, that Of pursuing policy of
Ion and procrastnation with nation that in nc
to submit either. He permitted the psycholog
cal moment TO slip his grasp and thereby placed bot
himself and Mexico in a most desperate and humt
ating situation.