Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-01-15
U. S. Officials Cite Precedents
for OBTAINING of Mexican
Soldiers in Texas.
CHARGES AGAINST VILLA
HELD TO BE OVERDRAWN
Battleship Georgia at Vera Cruz.
The Minnesota Due There Soon
With 400 Marines.

Reports from Mexico City that Gen.
banquet, Gen. Huerta's minister OF
war, is preparing to demand the re-
lease from the United States of Gen.
Mercado and the soldiers who crossed
INTO Texas after the disastrous battle OF
ojinaga were treated here today as
more or less of joke. No such de-
mand has been received in Washington.
and until 1t arrives no statement Will be
made officially by the State Depart
nent.
1t is known. however, that State De-
partment officials, advised by Counsellor
John Bassett Moore carefully considered
precedents before ordering the refugees
interned in the United States. and that
they consider the act fully justified by
international law.
Precedent in Russian War.
The latest precedent for this attitude
| occurred during the Japanese-Russian
war, following the battle in the Straits Of
Tsushima. when Admiral Togo destroyed
a large part of the Russian fleet
Russian cruisers then sought safety in
the ports of Manila and San Francisco.
They were detained until the war was
over and their crews interned. Russia
afterward paid the United States for
their support.
Consular reports from Chihuahua city
regarding charges that Gen. Filla treat
ed Spaniards at that place unfairly fol-
lowing his capture of the city from the
federals have been received at the State
Department.
Although the reports were not given
out today it was understood that their
general tenor was that the charges were
not as serious made out.
The battleship Georgia has arrived at
Vera Cruz and relieved the New Jersey,
which left at once for Boston. The place
of the Michigan. already on her way to
New York, is to be taken by the Mime
sofa. which will take 400 marines to Vera
Cruz from the Panama Canal Zone.
well as half dozen smaller craft, in the
Gulf of Mexico.
Bondholders Not Encouraged.
| Formal notice from the City of Mexico
through the American charge that the
suspension Of the payment of interest
on the Mexican national debt covers q
period of six months only, was not re-
garded here as conveying much en-
couragement to the holders OF Mexican
bonds. State Department officials do
not doubt that If the revolution still
is in progress at the end of six months
there will be another default FOR the
same reason that brought about the
present suspension of payments.
Mutterinss of discomfort among
European bondholders, it was suggest
ed, forboded a renewal of pressure from
tine European governments upon the
United States to take some decided ac-
ton to safeguard the interests of their
subjects in Mexico.
At one of the embassies it was stated
that 1t was quite out of the question for
any of the European powers, either indi-
vidually OF collectively, to intervene In
Mexico, now that they have practically.
If not formally, confided to the United
States the protection of. those interests.
but that it was assumed that the United
States would take notice of the patent
distress of these European interests.
Some administration officials are dis
posed to believe that Gen. Huerta has
deliberately held up these interest pay
ments with the purpose of forcing inter-
vention, IL possible. In their view, the
provisional president, alarmed at the
successes of the constitutionalists. pre-
fers to yield to the United States govern
ment as an intervenor and thereby mar
tyrize himself in the eyes Of the Mexican
people, rather than to surrender the reins
of power to the men who have sworn to
feed his carcass to the sharks of Vera
Cruz bay.