The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-04-18
ULTIMATUM COEST0 HUERTA

first hand information. After a con-
ference with Mr.. Lind, Mr.. Bryan hur-
| ried back to the White House, where
| other cabinet officers had collected. and,
although with grave faces. the omctals
discussed the developments confidently.
| THE temporizing is ended" said one
of the cabinet officers who Is personally
close to Mr. Wilson. I'VE have the
punch; we know it and we are go
ing to deliver it. Huerta has had his
last chance"
While the text of Huerta's message
today and the presidents reply were
not made public it became known that
Huerta contended that all the offenses
for which the United States asks apol-
ogy have been apologized for and that
"he demurs at anything further"
Huerta's final defiance came as a dis
tinct surprise to some officials, and
confirmed the suspicious of others who
never have believed that the dictator
was sincere in his promise to Charge
O'Shaughnessy last Tuesday. In some
circles there was a conviction that
Huerta, beset with Internal troubles and
menaced by the continuing advance Of
his enemies from the north was bent
on making trouble with the United
States, in the hope of uniting the
warning Mexican factions in a common
cause. Officials here, however. did not
expect that the constitutionalists, with
whom the United States has no quarrel
would be concerned in the quarrel with
Huerta.
Force Is Sufficient.
Oh1cials pointed out that the naval
forces at Vera Cruz and Tampico were
sufficient to carry out the presidents
plans without waiting for the arrival
Of Rear Admiral Badgers fleet.
The transport Hancock already has
q ovviv Of To MI Qnn
the battleships Virginia, Connecticut
and Minnesota and the cruisers Des
Moines, Dolphin and San Francisco
also are there. The scout cruiser
Chester and the transport Buffalo also
are at Tampico, with the collier Cy-
clops.
At Vera Cruz are the battleships
Florida and Utah, and the transport
Prairie, the latter having large COM
plement of marines. Rear Admiral
Mayo commands the ships at Tampico
and Rear Admiral Fletcher commands
at Vera Cruz. When Rear Admiral
Badger arrives he will take supreme
command.
The flagship Arkansas, with the
other ships, with Admiral Badger.
were off Key West last night, making
about eleven and a half knots. and
at that rate would reach Tampico by
Tuesday.
Orders from Washington however,
putting the new ships under forced
draught would bring them into Tam
pico on Manday, prepared for action.
II President Wilson has to lay the
situation before congress. The fact
that the senate was not in session
today, having adjourned over until
Monday, was referred to by some Of
ficials as the only reason the presi-
dent had not taken the Mexican mat
ter to the capitol today. On Monday
there will be opportunity for Mr..
Wilson to address house and senate in
joint session s...,...-,
Probable Plan of Action.
The president has not made known
what plan of action he will lay be-
fore congress. But the discussion up
to this time has indicated that the
next decisive step would be one of
those measures described by interna-
tional authorities as measures short
of war;" known as reprisal or pacific
blockade.
The pacific blockade has not been.
favorably regarded in executive quar-
ters, for while it would put restraint
on the ships of Mexico; it would not
assure a stop in the shipping of for
eign powers dealing with Mexico
Reprisal therefore has appeared to
furnish the method usual in redress
ing an offense such as the one now
being dealt with.
Reprisal is usually carried out by
the sequestration of property belong
ing to the offending state and holding
1t until redress is given. International
authorities hold this is "a means of
putting stress on a wrOngdoing state
by something short of war" The
manual used at the United States naval
war college states in reference to
seizures:
"Reprisa1s are not only milder than
war, since they are not complete war,
but they are capable of being limited
to such acts as are best for enforcing
redress under the circumstances of the
particular case. 1t, Of course, remains
true that reprisals are acts OF war, in
fact, though not in intention. and that
the state affected determines for it
self whether the relation of war is set
up by them or not
News of the situation was received
with suppressed excitement in the
house, where few members were in at
tendance. Chairman Flood Of the for
eign affairs committee was away be-
ing married. but during his honey
moon he will be In communication
with his Office.
Senator Cummins asserted that con-
gress would be quick to act If Huerta
should fail to accede to President
Wilson's final terms.
More Quibbling.
Washington. April 1S-Huerta's reply.
to the latest representations of the
United States, was described by off,
Continued on Page Two.)
IhT1hcKEn RY RpIcANnc