The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-02-23
NO LIGHT IN MnxIco.

or the relief OF this country from tn.
responsibilities II has assumed.
II 's safe to proceed on the principle
that General Hucrta Will erc long b,
eliminated" 10 uso the Presidents
phrase. His bnck Ia already broken
with tho northern provinces under the
control OF tho Constitutional forces
with the usual channels OF credit closed
TO The dictator. and with the certainty
that his army VIII melt away as the
forces of Carranza approach tho cap
ital. IL is only n question of time be-
fore Hucrta will BIO driven out This
be deferred. IL present conditions dc
not change, longer than few months
But II appears equally certain. we
think that when Huertn Is no longer
a factor the present opposition to him
Will be divided. Cnrransa and villa
arc men OF a very different stamp. Tho
former, though he frankly executes the
Huertists he captures and boldly pro-
claims no quarter. has at least tho vir-
rue OF education and tho remnants of
patriotism. Associated by birth and
education with the older and more sta :
bic element of Mexican society. he will
probably make stand. If he be vic
torious, In behalf OF tho restoration of
tho Constitution and the suppression
OF violence. For Villa. we arc afraid.
as much cannot he said whatever
may he the facts disclosed by a careful
investigation OF the Benton affair. the
notorious leader OF the .Iuaroz "heroes''
is at best a demagoguc and Is prob
ably little more than n brlgand pared i.
ing In the cloak OF revolution. II by
any stretch of the Imagination Carran-
an might be called the Mexican Danton.
villa scarcely deserves to be named as
its bloody Robespierrc.
Looking ahead. and presuming that
the present international situation will
not In the meantime be changed. there
must ultimately come n clash between
CafFan2a and Villa II this occurs be-
fore they have driven out Huerta, tho
deposition of the despot will be de-
iayed; If IT comes subsequent to Huer-
ta's fall. we shall probably have n re-
turn 20 those conditions that preceded
the death or Madero Nothing but
utter blindness can Justify tho dream
that villa and CarranzR Will amicably
overthrow the Huerta government and
unite TO restore order.
What is needed. OF course. Is n mnn
so dominant ana so powerful that he
can crush out the opposition of radical
and conservative alike. and can build
up party to occupy the place vacated
by old Diaz. Such man cannot. wo
take II. In the present development of
the public mind, employ the same re-
pressive methods that marked and
married tho administration of tho old
leader. lie must. however, have the
same hold upon the people of Mexico
and must. III this juncturc. be- able to
command strong financial resources.
The worst that can be said for the out
look In Mexico is that there Is no nan
on the horizon who even shows the
least of these essential qualities.
With this situation confronting MS
the demands upon our government are
Increased. We may liko 1t or not: We
may regard 1t as n maintenance of tho
Monroe Doctrine, or we may view II as
the Inevitable outcome Of that polio
ing" of our troublesome neighbours as
sumed by the former administration.
The fact remains the same; We have
the Woif by the ears, and have told our
anxious foreign neighhors that we and
we alone arc 10 hold him.
heretofore we have been hopeful