New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-04-17
A Salute to the Flag Will Not End
Our RESPONSIBILITIES in Mexico.

President Huerta's decision 70 order the salute 10
tho flag demanded by the United states Will ~ o'.'
dispose Of the Tampico incident Inc crafty
dictator undoubtedly realized that he had H''e -
Gain and much 10 lose by refusing coiiipie'e 4'p
ration for the Tampico bunder lie mao a"e"''
admitted that his subordinates were III lhe WINS
and had offered a formal apology. 10y oeciin"e -
salute the flag he could only hope 70 play LOT niS Wv"
ts. an tho violent anti American prejudces OF the
average Mexican But that advantage "ouiu nave
heen triAng compared with the Gripping Oh HIS 10
sources and the shock to his prestige WHICH "ouu
bore resulted from the seizure Of Tampico ana the
blockade Of Mexico's other ports
tro-ta hoe Welded 10 the inevitable But In so
doing no has sought 10 obtain some diplomatic coin
nensation He is Just as keen as General Carran~"
is about using offences committed against 1oreisn
flags nationals and property as means oil securing
formal nolitical recognition. Carranza trled 10 40
that in the Benton case, and Huerta now asks as
condition Of his salute to the American nag return
soIu,e which he will construe into the sort vi ac
tnou,edgment Of his official status which the ohl'eu
States has been resolutey Withholding 1or the last
twelve months Precedent runs In favor or the re-
turn salute and the administration Will proDaDiy
1.-Two m 70 precedent II it thus modhes 10 some
extent its former determination 10 ignore Huer'a
claim to recognition as President
But in what does recognition really consist! res
ident Wilson recently nominated two new secretaries
of embassy at Mexico City If they are presented 10
the Huera Foreign Office recognition will nave peen
given in fact II not in form. II return salute VIII
crafty Huerta and put the United States In better
position to deal with him and the elements IN MEXICO
which he now represents, that compliment may 90
something toward clearing up Automatically mud
died situation.
The great fault Of the Wilson Bryan Mexican
policy has been that 1t complacenty refused recogn
t,on IN Huerta and then took that refusal as an
excuse for negecting the diplomatic obligations I'M
posed on this country by its peculiar relation toward
Mexico Under whatever form--direct or indirect
American diplomacy should have been at work for a
year past measuring the situation at the capital and
in the northern states providing for emergencies and
accidents and clearing the for the granting OF
any demands which It might be called upon to make
in behalf Of it's own citizens and other foreigners or
on the broad ground Of humanity. The mismanage-
ment OF the Benton case disclosed an utter lack OF
knowledge and preparation the administration
mart Mr. Bryan should have known what Carranza
was going to do before he started IN upon the bur
lesque OF the Benton inquest Officially or unofh
cially the state Department should have given al
it's energies mastering and shaping the situation
In Mexico instead Of standing afar off and hoping
that things would go better after Huerta had "crum
bled"
Even II the Tampco incident may be considered
closed and overt clash with Huertas government
has been averted. this country's diplomatic respons
N blites in Mexico remain urgent and onerous as
Much more will need TO be done than has beer
done so far in the way Of developing genuine anC
intelligent policy, prepared 10 deal with the other
crises which sure 10 arise as conditions drift
more and more toward financial exhaustion and an
archy Massing the Atlantic feet in Gulf waters was
good idea. But what is needed still more is
concentrated effort the part Of the administration
10 look ahead month two and have definite plans
laid for meeting oncoming diplomatic and political
rs well military, emergencies