The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-05-29
The Landing Of War Material for
Huerta

1t Is eXasperating news but not at
all surprising. that the German steam
ships Ipiranga and Bavaria have
landed at Puerto Mexico their cargoes
of arms and ammunition consigned to
General HuERrA's Government. The
Administration at Washington was
commended for selling the custom house
ut Vera Cruz in the nick Of time to
prevent the rifles. field guns and ammu-
milton that filed the Ipiranga's hold
from falling into the Dictator's hands:
and It must now expect To be CON
demncd for permitting this steamship
and the Bavaria to discharge their
munitions of war at Puerto Mexico,
which has unobstructed railroad COM
munication with the capital.
The International law In the case
may be clear enough to the well In.
formed. hut laymen will not admit II
TO be relevant. They approved Of the
operations at Vera Cruz. whether an
act of war or not, for If there was to
be armed intervention To teach Gen
eral IIUERTA lesson there could be no
better time for 1t than when a cargo
of war material which might be used
against American soldiers was APP
preaching the coast; and naturally
enough laymen will argue that II 1t was
right and expedient TO hold up the
Yplranga Mt Vera Cruz both the Ypi-
ranga and Bavaria should have been
intercepted by American warships at
Puerto Mexico. even II force had to
be put shore there to seize the custom
house and occupy the town.
or course TO take such view OF the
case Is to lose sight Of the resort to
mediation and the armistice, which
securely tied the hands of President
WILSON: but the average man recalls
with resentment the sacrifice OF Amcri-
| can lives at Vera Cruz ana considers
| how unnecessary 1t all was II the
| Ypirnnga's stores Of war material We're
to be turned over TO General IIUERTA
/ after all. In short. the layman. whose
name is legion. has no stomach for the
| subtleties of international law when he
| feels so strongly that an egregious blum
der has been committed. 1t enrages
him to think that General HUERrA
may have consented to mediation and
! agreed TO the armistice In order to
obtain fresh supply OF ammunition
sufficient for vindictive campaign
against the United States n mediation
should fail. The question will natu-
rally be asked, Has not the Mexican
BRYAN again2
There IL another question that will
be put, and that Is how our State De-
partment came TO place 30 much rell
ance upon the idea that the German
Government would be able to divert
the war cargoes OF German merchant
steamships from Mexico to home ports
German dealers had an interchangeable
right to sell munitions TO the Mexican
Dictator, ana German ships could de
liver them Mt n custom house In posses
sion OF the Mexican Government. Pos
sibly the German Government did ust
it's good Offices to prevent delivery OF
the cargoes ON the Yplranga and Ba
varia. but II could coerce neither ship
pers nor the steamship company. NJ
good purpose will he served by taxing
Germany with breach OF faith.
What has happened might have beer
expected The Administration ha
been cropping blindly through the foi
Of an abnormal policy, catching Mt ex
pedients to escape the consequences o
its acts. and blunderng into the YER!
complications It sought to avoid.