The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1914-04-25
IMPENDING WAR WITH MEXICO.

IMPENDING WAR WITH MEXICO
After parleying over the deman'
of the United States government
that its flag be saluted at Tampico il
apology for the indignity of placing
American sailors in uniform unde
arrest, Gen. Huerta, the de facto Mex
lean president, refused to comply ex
cept upon condition that the SALUTE
should be returned gun for gun b,
| the United States.
To this counter demand Presiden
Wilson replied that the salute mus
be given Internationally by 6 o'clocl
last Sunday evening, else peremptory
steps would be taken to vindicate ant
compel recognition of the honor ani
dignity Of this country.
The salute was not fired, hence
President Wilson appeared before con
gress in joint session Monday fore
noon and stated the situation, an
nouncing his intention of taking dras
tic preliminary measures against the
Huerta dynasty. He disavoWed any
intention or desire to make war up
on the people of Mexico, for whom
this nation has naught but sympa
| thy, goodwill and friendship, but
made it clear that the time for suf
fering further insult and indignity
| at the hands of the dominant regime
in the neighboring distracted repub
| lie had passed and only in quick
and effective reprisal by force OF
arms could a remedy be found for
prevalent intolerable conditions.
Without waiting for the indorse.
ment of his course voiced in a res.
olution passed by the house of rep.
resentatives Monday night, amend
ed and passed by the senate and
repassed by the house on Wednes-
day, the president gave orders
through the navy department for the
capture of the customhouse and rail
way terminals at Vera Cruz.
These orders were carried out on
Tuesday and Wednesday, and the
investment of the whole city OF
Vera Cruz was completed on the lat
ter day. There was considerable
skirmishing between the landing
forces and the retiring Mexican
troops, the invaders losing eight men
killed and some thirty wounded.
| The losses of the Mexicans are es-
| timated at $50 killed and a proper
tionate number wounded.
Latest indications point to union
Of the warning Mexican factions and
a declaration of war by both Huerta
and Carranza against the United
States. Prior to the capture of Vera
Cruz it had been the ayoWed inten-
ton Of the Constituencies leaders
not to interfere with the purpose of
the United States government to
bring Huerta to account for the
Tampico incident, but Gen. Carranza
took the Washington authorities by
surprise On Wednesday with formal
note to President Wilson declaring
the seizure of Vera Cruz violation
of the national sovereignty of Mex
leo and inviting the United States
to suspend hostilities and withdraw
its forces from Mexican soil.
President Wilson ON Thursday is
sued statement declaring the in
tention Of the government to enforce
PREPARATION, whenever and wherever
the dignity of the United States is
flouted," and informing the rebel
chieftain that "We are now dealing
only with those whom Huerta COM
mands and those who come to his
support
Charge d'Affaires O'Shaughnessy
has been given his passport at Mex
leo City and grave apprehension is
felt for the safety of the 500 to 1000
Americans still in the Mexican cap
ital, where mobs of natives were said
to be forming for anti-American de-
monstrations on Thursday.
Trouble seems to be brewing along
the Rio Grande, and the prospect
seems to be that the army as well
as the navy will soon be called upon
to take a hand in the task of teach
ing our obstreperous neighbors on
the southern border a lesson in ma
tional ethics and good behavior. It
is greatly to be hoped general war
with unfortunate Mexico may yet be
avoided, but the outlook for such a
results is anything but bright as
these lines are written.