The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1914-05-02
MEANING OF MEDIATION

The Star has been opposed to the
| idea of mediation of other nations
between the United States and Mexi-
co because it looked like a useless
sacrifice of national dignity As will
| be seen by the following from the
Savannah News, it may also be
vast sacrifice of time and lead this
country into some of the most dew
ious paths Of Diplomacy ever laid
out:l
1t seems that the mediators who
are undertaking to avert war be-
tween this country and Mexico and,
in fact, to solve the entire Mexican
problem, are depending largely for
success upon European powers that
are only indirectly interested. The
other day it was announced chat they
had appealed to them to use their
Influence with President Wilson to
have him not to name conditions
that it would be impossible to have
accepted, but it is said that they
| made no such appeal. The appeal
they have made. it is now stated, is
| that they use their friendly Offices to
facilitate mediation
| The meaning of this apparently is
that the ENJOYS realize that there
will be features in the adjustment
plan which they will propose that
| will not be acceptable to President
Wilson and other features that will
not be acceptable to President Huer-
ia and that pressure will have to be
| brought to bear on them to get the
plan accepted.
| If this is the program it is safe
prediction that it will be weeks be-
plished if, in fact, the ENJOYS will be
successful in accomplishing their
task. In the meantime our warships
and our soldiers and marines will be
kept in waiting at Vera Cruz and the
armies of Huerta and Carranza will
cease their activities.
| No doubt it is the purpose of. the
mediators to push along the negotia-
tions as fast as possible, but if there
should be many points of disagree
ment it is apparent that progress will
be slow. Suppose, for instance, the
mediators, in order to get conces-
sions from Huerta, should hold that
our forces must be withdrawn from
Vera Cruz before Huerta is required
to make amends demanded by Adj
miral Mayo and approved by Presi-
dent Wilson, would President Wilson
accede to it? And if he refused and
the governments of Europe should
use their good offices to get him to
accede to it how long would it be be-
! fore the result would be known?
President Wilson would give reasons
| for his refusal and then there would
be reasons offered on the other side
| and the discussion might go on for
| weeks. If many differences should
arise and the same procedure should
| be adopted it is evident that a great
deal Of time would be consumed be-
fore any definite conclusion was
reached.
| We mention only one issue that is
likely to arise. The probability is
there will be many, especially if the
adjustment of the differences be-
tween the federals and constitution
alists as well as those between our
government and that of Huerta is
| undertaken.
While the European powers-es-
pecially Great Britain, France and
Germany-are very friendly to us
now it is by no means certain that
they would back up President Will
son in the position he may take in
the progress of the negotiations.
They have interests and it is but
natural that they should be influenc-
ed by them. They want peace quickly
because of their investments in Mex
leo and they might urge President
Wilson to make concessions that he
couldn't make with credit to his ad-
istration-concession that the
American people wouldn't approve
lin order to hasten a settlement of
the trouble. If he stood out against
the wishes of the powers of Europe
our relations with those powers
might become somewhat strained.
| This view Of the possibilities Is
mentioned simply to point out that
if we are expecting a quick settle
ment of the Mexican crisis we are
likely to be disappointed. All the
| indications are that We shall have