The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1914-06-24
THE AMERICAN POSITION,
PUBLIC STATEMENT IN REPLY
TO MEXICAN DELEG.AT
Americans Reply to IIucrta Delegates
Explains That Neutral is Impos-
siblc and That RcvOlutiOnists Have
Best Right to Rule.


diation conference tonight made pub
lie q statement, issued with the con-
sent Of the Washington government,
replying to the statement given out
last night by the Mexican delegation,
criticising the American plan for the
establishment Of provisional gov
ernment in Mexico City with q cOnsti-
tutiOnalist at it's head. Suggestions
that President Wilson had any intent
to destroy the electoral liberty of
Mcxico arc utterly repudiated" by
the American representatives. The
statement covers the whole range of
criticism by the Huerta delegates. 1t
was interpreted as fOrcshadOwing the
unalterable position Of the United
States in future parleys.
The statement in substance follows:
THE American representatives do
not think it is conducive to the inter-
csts of mediation to publish during
its pendcncy the various plans or the
contentious Of the parties, but as the
Mexican representatives have given
out formal statement Of their OBJ
jections to the appointment of con-
stitutiOnalist as provisional president,
because among other things an elec-
ton conducted by such q provisional
government would not represent the
will Of the Mexican people, it has been
thought necessary to give out a part
OF the answer to the letter written by
Mr.. Rabasa.
'ln that answer the American rep
resentatives utterly repudiate any sug-
gestiOns that the American president
has any intent Of destroying the cleo
the Mexican representatives entirely
misunderstanding -tfv 7ifotives> ssf7t}s or
jects Of the president, who recognizes
the facts and sees in the past success
of the constitutonalist army indis-
putable evidence Of the approval Of
the Mexican people. But he also sees
the full triumph Of that army means
an indefinite continuance of war, with
the suffering and blooGshed and death
which every war involves.
''These consequences the president
seeks to prevent through mediation,
but we greatly fear the language OF
the Mexican note implies that his ef-
forts may be thwarted because of un-
Willingness to have a constitutional
list as provisional president, even
though that promises the only prac-
tical means by which the horrors of
war can be prevented.
Hope is expressed that the Mcxi-
can representatives will not further
oppose the only plan which promises
peace, when its rejection means suf-
fering and death to so many. We
are convinced that your objections to
the plan itself and your fear of the
Ill consequences that may follow it's
adoption are not we'll founded; and
that i'm attacking the details you lose
sight of the large and controlling
motive which from the beginning of
this trouble has been in the min,,
of the president and which has in
uucnced the American representatives
i'm all that they have said or proposed
to the mcdiatOrs.
'The American government seeks
only to assist i'm securing the paciii-
cation Of Mexico. 1t has no special
interest in the method or in the per-
son by which that great end is to
be accomplished; and if it presses for
any particular method or for the Sc
lection of n particular type Of man
be the only means to the desired
end.
1T would be easy at this confer
ence to write an agreement which
many would consider desirable, but
unless the most excellent of plans and
the most excellent men are ac-
ceptcd by the Constitutionalists we
only would have paper plan, wholly
ineffective to secure peace in Il war
worn republic. To bring that war to
Il close, to restore peace and IL con-
*titutional government is the aim of
the president and that end only can
he attained by consulting the just
wishes Of the conStitutiOnaliStS, who
arc the dominant force in the country.
"If those selected by the mcdiators
to administer the provisional govern
lnCnt have the confidence of the con-
long step will have
been takcl towards the paCiiiCation Of
Mexico without furnishing any OcCa-
sion for alarm to those Mr.. Ita baSI