The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-06-08
Huerta's Recent Act Fills Mediators at Niagara
 With Apprehension
BADGER ORDERED TO
 KEEP TAMPICO OPEN
Mexican Vessels Expected to Reach Tampico Today and Wait for the Antilla-Huerta Delegates Say
 U. s. Must Remain Neutral

Niagara Falls. Ont. June 7.-Tampico once more threatens the peace of the events may transpire there-possibly within the next 4s hours-of nature that would be certain to disrupt media tion negotiations, many principals in the conference here are filled with appre- hension
 The anxiety is provoked because of the situation in which the United States has been placed by General Huerta's deter imitation to bottle up the port of Tam pico to stop the landing of munitions of from the Cuban ship Antilla. en route from New York.
 Mexican Vessels Await Antilla
 The Washington government. it is un- derstood. feels it must prevent at all hazards the exercise of a blockade by a government that is not recognized as possessing the right to perform such an act under international law. Should the Huerta gunboats Zaragoza and Bravo at- tempt to intercept and search vessels be- lieved to have in their cargo arms and ammunition for the constitutionalists, it is said here that American war vessels would interfere as for sometime orders have been in the possession of Rear Ad- mira Badger to keep Tampico open to commerce.
 The superiority of the American force would make a warning sufficient. it is believed to prevent any act of aggres- sion by the Mexican gunboats. The gravity of the situation is found in' the danger that such an act by the United States might cause General Huerta to withdraw his delegates from the Niagara Falls conference.
 The situation arose as a result Of a note of inquiry from General Huerta through his delegates here as to what the attitude of the United States was toward the port of Tampico. Justice La mar and Frederick w. Lehman, the American delegates, immediately re- ferred the inquiry to Washington and the mediators were informed that the United States had taken the position that Tampico was open. This attitude has been assumed after the constitutionalists seized Tampico in order primarily to pro- tect shipments of oil. It had been thought General Huertas gunboats might inter- fere with oil shipments in desire to hamper the constitutfonalists from ob- taining revenues. The American com missioners gave the mediators all the information they possessed and the three diplomats discussed it early today with the Mexican delegates. The envoys con tinued in consultation for sometime af- ter the Mexican delegates had departed All participants to the conference looked
 C.. ..~ 4r.,t ''it looks black"
 The United States Is said to be not at all concerned by the fact that the opposing factions in Mexico are able to get large quantities of arms. After per hitting the landing of war munitions for Hnerta at ports on both the Atlantic anc Pacific coasts. the naval forces pas sively permitted vessels to discharge similar consignments for the constitu- tionalists at Tampico.
 Keep Tampico Open
 The Antilla shipment of ammunition aroused General Huerta to activity. He immediately set out to intercept the ves- sel and dispatched his gunboats toward Tampico tomorrow and to lie in wait foi the Antilla. American warships are prepared to stand between the Mexicans and any act menacing commerce, unless otherwise instructed by Washington
 Those in position to know say it Is diff ficult to see how another rupture be- tween the Huerta government and the United States can be avoided. If one occurs, the prevailing belief is that me- diation proceedings cannot continue. Ii the Huerta delegates already have in formed the medators they might have to withdraw from. the proceedings if Huer- ta s efforts to maintain a blockade are thwarted by the American navy. this in formation had not been conveyed tonight to the American delegates The Amer jeans will confer with the medators to- morrow. when this point of view may be explained to them.
 The Huerta delegates are said to have taken the stand that the United States now must remain neutral as between the federals and the constituencies. They say the American forces must not inter- fere with their efforts to stop the land ing of arms for the constituencies and that to do so would put the United States in the position of using the navy to advance the cause of Carranza.
 There have been numerous cable mes sages between Mexico City and Niagara Falls since the Antilla steamed for Tampico. but the Mexican delegates have been unwilling to discuss the exchanges. They are believed to have related to this latest incident, which overshadows every other issue.