Semi-weekly herald., 1914-03-09
HOW HUERTA RETAINS
CONTROL OF MEXICO


VERA CRUZ, Mex, March g.
Following the ruthless killing of Gus
tave and Francisco Madero and Vice
President Suarez, General Huerta is
sued an "explanation" of the deaths
of the latter two. at was all due
to their trying to escape" said Huer-
ta's representative. "They were
placed in an automobile to be taken
to another Jail. A band of men rode
up to rescue them and, in the fight,
both Madero and Suarez were killed.
1t is very regrettable and we wish
you would quote us in your dispatches
as saying that it is very terrible and
sad" Huerta made no effort to lex
plain" why. in the Exchange of bull
lets" which had killed Madero and
Suarez, and ridded the closed auto
mobile in which they were claimed
to have been riding, not one person
besides Madero and Suarez had been
hit. 1t was not explained how the So
called "band of rescuers" had shot
down the men they were trying to
rescue" without wounding one of the
guards who surrounded Madero and
Suarez.
Civilization was jolted by the as.
tonishing news. Huerta, from the
chair in which the murdered presi.
dent had sat, explained that he haG
had nothing to do with the killing
He would act as president until fair
election could be held. He felt he
was able to keep peace in the coun.
try. The army, he said, was with
him, and it had never been with Ma.
dero at heart.
Two matters of tremendous i'm.
portance to Huerta occurred almost
Immediately. The hardy Venustiant
Carranza, one of Madero's closest
friends, governor of a northern state
student of socialism and democracy
declared that he would fight the new
government. And the United States
government refused to recognize the
government founded by Huerta.
Huerta had overreached himself il
permitting the staying of Francisco
Madero. The killing of Gustave Ma.
dero would probably have been con,
doned by the world at large; it Ger.
tainly would have been condoned by
the Mexican people for, though they
liked Madero, the president, they hat
ed Gustave for his lack of conscience
and felt that it was Gustave who was
making Francisco's administration q
failure, through graft and cruelty
But the Staying of the little president
the gentleman who would not kill
Diaz when Diaz was in his power
and who would not take the life OF
Reyes, when Reyes had tried to take
his; who almost faithfully followed
the Biblical admonition to turn the
other cheek, and who was true to his
big dream that human rights stand
above all other rights, was an af-
front to all human progress. The
man who slew such a leader tried to
overthrow the hopes of common hu-
manity.
1t is not to be wondered at that the
United States government refused to
recognize Huerta as provisional pres
ident. England, however, hurriedly
recognized the presidency of Huerta,
but there is small wonder for this,
because Huerta was friendly to the
English oil interests of Mexico, and
Lord Cowdray, head of these inter-
ests, was leader of the ruling party
in England. Other nations followed
England's lead.
Woodrow Wilson took office as
president of the United States. He
declared that Huerta must not hold
office as president of Mexico; that a
presidency gained by bloodshed and
treachery could not be upheld in any
country in America" This seemed
like sheer talk, for time. Huerta
didn't get out; his government con-
tinued in power. But the passage
Of few weeks showed the force of