New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-06-02
The NEGOTIATIONS at Niagara Falls
Should Be Three-Slded,
Not TwO-Sided.

II is difficult TO understand the re'uc'""'e W .o
Ar c medators 10 admit representatives VI ~"
Constitutionast government IN MEXICO in.o
Niagara Falls peace conference Inc nieu'"'0
are not combining their efforts to framing "n "s
ment covering the causes of the rupture between
the United States and the Huera administration"
They are going much further than that
According to trustworthy reports, they are u! ing
10 deal with the causes which have lea 10 uiSoiu'
revolution and anarchy in Mexico ana 10 coiSe
ouent friction with the foreign governments the
lives and property Of whose nationals nave oeen
sacrificed They have even undertaken 10 set up Z"
nrovisional government and to pledge that govern
noent 70 important internal reforms-includlng the
breaking I'D Of the enormous Mexican lahue"
estates.
II is evident that what the medlators are doing
concerns all interests and factions in Mexico Inc
settlement arrived at, in order to produce goou IT,
suits must be accepted by all elements, either
willingly or under compulsion. Why then e3ciuue
from q hearing at the Niagara Falls conference the
Constitutonalst faction, whose provisional gov
eminent now controls more than half the terrl-
tory of the republic and whose armies are 10"
within striking distance of the capital: 1t seems 10
us matter Of prudence and common sense 10 Try
TO commit the Constituencies in advance TO any
terms Of settlement instead Of reaching some con-
cluson without their knowledge or concurrence ana
then having to tell them that the. must accept 1t
or fight with US.
Carranza has never declined to participate IN the
present mediation. He accepted the good ofhces OF
the C ambassadors in principle and reserved
the right 10 discuss subsequently the details ana
scope Of the mediation. That was regular ana
nroper There was no reason why be should nave
consented to 20 into a blind pool. when he
asked the mediators a few days later what points
mediation would cover he received no answer
The entirely legitimate question which lie alone OF
all the parties concerned had the franknesS TO put
has never been answered
The mediators withdrew their invitation to Car
rama because he would not pledge himself to a
cessation Of hosttes Yet he had perfect rght
10 refuse such a pledge. An acceptance OF media
ton does not Of itself suspend hostilities. The
Hague Treaty of 1907 says explicitly in Article VII:
IF it (mediation takes place after the commence
ment Of hostties the military operations IN
progress are not interrupted in the absence of an
agreement to the contrary
General Carranza exercised an option allowed
him under international law in continuing military
operations He had good re- on to think that he
was barred out Of the Niagara Falls conference on
an unsound technicality. He took his rebuff philo-
sopbicallv and now he politely asks that the can
celled invitation he renewed.
II oucht TO he renewed for the benefit Of all con-
cerned No effort should he spared to make the
agreement reached 10y the mediators complete and
final 4 three-sded result is needed, and the nego-
tiations preceding it should be three-Sided