Evening star., 1914-04-20
Declares the United States
Will Not Fight People
of Mexico.
ISSUE is WITH HUERTA.
LOOKED UPON AS OUTLAW
Optimistic Views of Mr.. Wilson Not
Shared by Men in His
Confidence.

Washington correspondents today
not to get the impression that the
United States was going to have
war with Mexico.
Il want to say to you gentle
men. do not get the impression
that there is about to be war be-
tween the United States and
Mexico, sad the President. That
is not the outlook at present at
all.
In the first place. in no con-.
ceivable circumstance will we
fight the people of Mexico. We
are their friends and we want to
help them in every way that we
can to recover their rights and
their government and their laws !;
and for the present | am going to
Congress to present a special sit
uation and seek approval to meet
Issue Is With Huerta.
1T is only an issue between this gov
ernment and a person calling himself the
provisional president of Mexico, whose
right to call himself such we have never
recognized in any way.
So that 1 had a feeling of uneasiness
as i read the papers this morning. as if
the country were getting on fire with war
enthusiasm I have no enthusiasm for
war: l have an enthusiasm for justice
and for the dignity of the United States.
but not for war. And this need not
eventuate into war IL we handle it with
frmness and promptness"
The President emphasized that he had
not lost his patience with Mexico, for to
lose patience seemed to him an act of
weakness on the part of person strong
enough to do as he ought, but that he
felt such incidents as the recent one
might go from bad to worse and event
ually bring about a state of conflict.
In the Interest of Peace.
The President added that he thought it
was wise in the interests of peace to cut
off these repeated offenses at an carly
stage.
Events of The day. the President in
dicated, such as a final acceptance from
HuerJa. might alter his plans. and he
added that even the course of action by
the navy was dependent upon circum-
stances from hour to hour.
When the President was asked the di-
rect question if the purpose of his action
was to secure the elimination of Huerta
he replied that the Tampico incident did
not involve that question. He replied that
the United States merely wanted full
recognition of its dignity. and such a
recognition would constitute a guarantee
that such incidents as the one at Tam
pico would not occur again.
The President revealed that foreign
diplomats at Mexico City had been using
their good offices with Huerta in an eff
fort to induce him to accede. but that no
government In any way by other nations.
War Opinion Prevails.
While President Wilson's soft pedal"
rema. Ks to visitors today were what
would be expected of a chief magistrate
of the nation, whose thought Is of saving
American lives in long war with Mex
leo there were few of his hearers who
looked upon the final outcome as optims-
tically as did Mr.. Wilson, unless Huerta
yields before the administration is able
to begin the proposed blockade of ports
and seizure of Mexican custom houses.
Although these acts in themselves
may not lead to intervention and war.
the prevailing opinion. even in official
circles. is that one overt act after an
other will follow and that within a
short time it will become absolutely
necessary to land troops on Mexican
soil and begin the march to Mexico
City. The President, 1t was pointed
out. could not think of leading the
ris sippr in, &c
country. as that would mean the Sc
verest criticism for him.
The President has often declared that
If he could prevent 1t there will not be
a drop of an American soldiers or
sailors blood lost on American terri
tory, and he is battling between the
desire to avert this and the purpose to
enforce respect for the American flag.
The dignity and konor of the United
states must be preserved. and IL this
can be brought about without loss of
blood the President will be delighted
He hopes II can. while the majority of
those around him do not take the same
view.
The President was as calm and upper
turbed today as if no great trouble con-
fronted his administration and the coun-
try. He laughed at remarks of newspa-
per correspondents and in appearance did
not belle his hopeful words of probably
no war. He looked fresh and bright. as
II he had slept soundly on the train from
White Sulphur Springs.
Suggestions during the day that inter-
national complications may grow out of
the contemplated action in Mexico were
not confirmed anywhere in official cir
cles 1t is not believed that any nation
will interfere in the slightest manner.
| and the opinion is that all Of them will
be glad to see the United States start
! upon what all regard as sure interven
| tion and eventual restoration of peace in
i Mexico.
nEnEIc tn KEEn A1AnH