Norwich bulletin., 1914-06-19
Problem Made More Complex by Action of Villa in h.
 sisting Upon Having Military Control
TO PROCEED WITH ARMY TOWARD MEXICO CITY,
Believed that HueTa Delegates Will Accept Compromise Candidate for Provisional President -Constutionaist Authorities Showing Disposition Protect Americans and Other Foreigners Mexico-Sessons of Peace Con ferences to be Resumed Today.

resentatives utterly repudiate any sug- gestions that the American president has any intent of destroying the cleo | toral liberty of Mexico. and insist that tue Mexican representatives entireiy misunderstood the motives and objects Of the president, who recognizes the facts and sees in the past success of the conStitutionalist army indiSputa- ble evidence of the approval of the Mexican people. But he also sees that l the full triumph of that army means an indefinite continuance of the war with the suffering and bloodshed and death which every war involves. These e--conSeQuenceS the president seeks to prevent through mediation, but we greatly fear that the language of the Mexican note implies that his efforts may be thWarted because of the unwillingness to have a constitu- tfonalist as provisional president, even though that promises the only pracd- cable means by which the horrors of war can be prevented.
 Hope is expressed that the Mexican representatives will not further oppose the only plan which promises peace, when its rejection means suffering and death to so many. We are con- vinced that your objections to the plan itself and your fear of the i'll conse- quences that may follow its adoption are not well founded and that in at tacking the details you lose sight of the large and controlling motive which from the beginning of this trouble has been in the mind of the president and which has influenced the American representatives in all that they have
 said or proposed to the mediators.'
 United States Seeks Modification Only.
 "The American government seeks only to assist in securing the pacifi-
 cation of Mexico. It has no special
 interest in the method or in the per
 sor by which that great end is :S be
 accomplished; and if it presses for any
 particular method or for the selection
 of a particular type of men, it is only
 because it believes them to be the only
 means to the desired end. American objections to the plan approved by the
 Mexican representatives have been
 based up on the profound conviction
 that the Adoption of that plan would |4Rot stop the progress of the victorious army nor bring that speedy peace
 which the American government 50
 sincerely desires.
 Tt would be easy at this conference
 to write an agreement which many
 would consider desirable: but unless the most excellent of plans and the most excellent of men are accepted by 1 the constitutionalists, we would only have paper plan, perfect in form and just in expression, but wholly inef- fective to secure peace in war-worn he6lcO. 10 DIlIlS tlldt war lO d close, to restore peace and constitu-
 tional government is the aim of the president: and that end can only be attained by consulting the just wishes of the constitutionalists who are not only in numerical majority but are
 now the dominant forces in the coun-
 try.
 Most of those in that party will
 1anoCoarilx- m hn nf Q
 terms agreed on at Niagara Falls, but
 they know men, and they do know for
 what men stand. And if the right man
 is selected for provisional president,
 they can. and we hope will, accept his
 appointment as concrete and satisfac-
 tory evidence that the provisional gov
 ernment is not intended to prevent the
 adoption of the reforms, to secure
 which the Mexican people have arisen
 in arms.
 No Neutral Men in Mexico.
 Tn reference to the suggestion that
 the provisional president should be a
 neutral, it is said that It is manifest that in such contest as has been waged in Mexico for years. it is not only fair, but necessary to assume that every intelligent man of any prominence is
 at heart on one side or the other, and the country might well question the patriotism of apy Mexican which has
 
 as the provisional president must be to some extent identified with one par ty or the other, it necessarily follows that to meet the requirements of the present situation his sympathies, which really mark the man. must be with the dominant element. Such a man, and i only such a man. can reasonably be ex- pected to have the confidence and re- spect of the entire country.
 'In answer to the contention that there could be no fair elections con- l ducted by provisional president the answer of the Americans calls atten- i ton to the fact that in, the past the 1 elections in Mexico have been under 1 the supervision of single cabinet ] minister representing the dominant party. By analogy the next election
 should be supervised by only one off, cer representing the dominant consti- tutfonalist party. The American plan i seeks to avoid the just criticism i against that method and contemplates ! that this, the most important election in the history of Mexico. shall be su- pervised by the representatives of both parties.
 Wants Free Choice of Electors.
 Tt is wholly incorrect to assume i that thus supervised it would be un- fairly conducted. and you may rest as- sured that all the influence the United ! States can legitimately use will De ex- I ercised to secure an honest election. | Indeed, it is the earnest desire of our l government that the permanent presi- l dent shall be chosen in a manner so i free from objection that his title to 1 that high office and the confidence and respect of his people will be strength ened by their knowledge that he rep resents their free and unfestered choice at an election held not by one party, as in the past. but by repre- sentatives Of both factions"
 l In view of the opposite views ex- pressed by the American and Mexican delegates in their public utterances, the next conference, 1t was admitted on all sides. would bring perhaps the most critical and delicate moment of 1 the entire mediation proceedings. Autoist Held fer Mansiaus shtsr.