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


sent Of the Washington government.
replying to the statement given out
last night by the Mexican delegation,
criticising the American plan for the
Of provisional gov
ernment in Mexico City with q consti-
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 foreshadowing 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 cleo
ton conducted by such a 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.
I'm that answer the American rep
resentatlves utterly repudiate any sug-
gestions that the American president
has any intent Of destroying the elec-
tOral liberty Of Mexico and insist that
the Mexican representatives entirely
misunderstand- -t41U- 7iSotivcs lsoh-
jects Of the president, who recognizes
the facts and sees in the past success
of the constitutionalist 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 bloodshed and death
which every war involves.
"These consequences the presidert t
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 Moxi-
can representatives will not further
oppose the only plan which promises
peace, when its rejection mcars suf-
fering and death to SO many. We
are convinced that your objections to
the plan itself and your fear of the
IL consequences that may follow it's
adoption arc not well 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 mind
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 in securing the pacifi-
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 particular type of man
1t is only because it believes them to
DC the only means to the desired
enc.
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-
cepLed by the constitutionalists we
only would have n paper plan, wholly
ihenectiVe to secure peace in n war
worn republic. To bring that war to
close. to restore peace and a con-
Stitutional government is the aim of
the president and that end only can
DC attained by consulting the Just
wishes or the COnStitutiOnaliStS who
are inc dominant force i'm the country
II those selected by the mcdiators
TO administer the provisional govern
incn' nave the confidence of the con-
stltu'ionaists Il long step will have
been taken towards the pacilication Of
Mexico without furnishing any Occa-
sion for alarm to those Mr.. I,abasa
represents. for If the plan is ac-
ccptcl both by Gen. HuCrta and Cen.
CarranZa the cessation of arms fol