Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1914-05-22
DEMAND TOkNOWI
FATE OF SOLDIER
Huerta Told Withholding Facts
is Hostile kct
IT IS SAID he WAS EXECUTED
State Departments Demand on Huerta
May Explain Why Conference OF
Mediators Has Been Postponed.

The Mexican situation took most
serious turn when the United States
government informed the Huerta gov
ernment that it considers the with
holding of information concerning the
fate of Samuel Parks, private in the
Twenty-eighth Infantry, hostile act.
The notice to the Huerta govern.
ment came through Secretary OF State
Bryan, by way Of the state depart
ment. 1t was addressed to Provisional
President Huerta and the Mexican
Federal authorities direct. So far as Is
known, no notice of the United States
governments attitude in the case was
communicated to the Huerta govern.
ment's representative in Washington
or to the "a. B. c." powers trying to
bring about mediation Of the trouble
between this country and the de factor
government in Mexico.
Parks, who went to Mexico with
General Funston's troops, has been
missing for week or more. Acting as
orderly for Colonel Taggart, Of the
Twenty-eighth Infantry, he rode out
one day to exercise two horses. He Is
supposed to have become insane from
the heat, and penetrated the Mexican
lines outside Vera Cruz. Nothing Off
cial has been learned about him since
that time.
A correspondent sent a dispatch
saying he had reliable information
that Parks had been seized by General
Mas men, and after farcical trial
by a drum head court, executed. This
information was subsequently corrobo'
rated by other press dispatches.
The war department, through Secre
tary Garrison, called on General Fun.
ston for full report Of the case. So
far as is known, no report had come
from General Funston.
"The case has passed the investiga
ton STAGE" said Secretary Garri Ion
land we are now assuming that Parks
is either prisoner or has been killed.
The representations, he said, are in
the nature of protest against an un
friendly or hostile act" and adde'
that the state department is acting IL
behalf of the war department In the
matter.
1t was rumored in Washington that
the governments representations in the
Parks case might account for delay In
the plans for mediation. Opening OF
the conference at Niagara Falls on
Monday was postponed until Wednes
day. The Official explanation" Of this
delay was that ther ewas no desire to
hurry" the Huerta delegates. There
are persistent rumors that another
reason was back of the delay.
A report to Vera Cruz said that
part of the Mexico City garrison had
mutinied, slain several officers and
fed from the city.
Apparently the feeling is general
among all in Vera Cruz that the next
few days will see a tumult of revolt In
the capital, since movement into the
districts was planned to occur only
when the situation became critical and
self-protection an absolute necessity.
British, German and Austrian resi-
dents of Mexico City are concentrat.
ing for mutual defense. They are re-
ported as expecting tumults or open
revolt against Huerta within a few
days.
The Mexican gunboats Bravo and
Zaragoza have sailed from Tampico,
closely followed by United States war
ships, which will keep constant watch
on them. They are expected to return
and blockade Tampico, which may
cause international complications.