The Washington herald., 1914-04-19

Wilson has been spending a short season
to the refusal Of this government yes
terday to fire simultaneous salute.
He found Secretary Tunulty awaiting
him with the news that Mr.. Bryan had
not yet heard from Mexico City.
Goes to Play Golf.
From unofficial advices. the President
learned that Huerta had discussed the
situation with his cabinet and had in
formed Charge d'Affairs O'Shaughnessy
of the Mexican attitude. firing Of wait
ing for the O'Shaughnessy message. after
he had gone through the routine Of sign
ing a number of letters and other ON.
cial documents, the President decided to
go for his accustomed Saturday morn
ing game of golf at Washington Country
Club. He left at 10 o'clock.
Soon after the Presidents departure
the embassy's report OF Huerta's reply
began to come in over the State Depart
ment telegraph wires. 1t was taken from
the operators table, sentence by SEN
tence, and placed in the hands Of the
cipher expert, who had been hidden by
Secretary Bryan to make all possible
haste. Secretary Tumulty waited with
Mr.. Bryan in the office of the Secretary
OF State for the completion of the mes
sage. As soon as enough of Its con-
tends had been read to disclose its por-
tent, Mr.. TumIlty tried vainly to get the
President to a telephone at the golf
club. Unable to do this. he decided to
rush there in an automobile. Mr.. Bryan
and Mr.. Tumulty came out OF the State
Department together TO a waiting White
House automobile. Strange to say, Mr.
Bryan was smiling, despite the realiza-
tion that the news he bore involved
the shattering of all his hopes that the
administration of which he is a part
should complete its service without a
war. 1t is said that the White House
automobile speeded toward the golf club
at speed at times as high as eighty
miles an hour.
Two Parties Meet.
Meanwhile, a messenger from the club
house had reached President Wilson and
informed him that the Secretary of State
wanted him on the telephone. The Presi-
dent hurried to the clubhouse, to find
that the telephone connection had been
severed. and ordered his chauffeur to
drive to Washington. The Presidents
speed, although it exceeded the twenty
mile rate. at which he is accustomed
to motor, did hot even approximate that
OF Secretary Bryan and Mr.. Tumulty,
who were racing toward him. The two
cars passed each other on the Washing
ton side of the Potomac River. Tumulty
hailed the White House car and both
came to a halt. Secretary Bryan came
to the Presidential car and. seated in
the tonneau with Mr.. Wilson, showed
him O'Shaughnessy's answer. As soon
as it had been glanced over, the party
began the return to Washington.
First they went into the Presidents
nfflrn diraN~fNK, -.
Chairman Shivcly. Of the Senate CON-
mittee on Foreign Relations, be asked to
come to the White House Until this
time no hint of the character of Huerta's
reply had been given by any official to
the waiting throng of newspaper CORE
spOndents. In the conversation in the
White House lobby speculation ran ir
two directions. On the one hand 1t was
suggested that Secretary Bryan's smile
as he had left the State Department had
denoted good news; on the other, that
the haste with which the message had
been communicated to the President de-
noted an equal haste in sending a reply
and from this il was deduced that Wash
ington's demands had been rejected.
President Makes Statement.
The latter view quickly was substan-
tiated. First, Secretary Tumulty sent
ing statement In a few minutes Mr..
Tumulty himself appeared. with the in
fol NAL announcement that Huerta was
still obstinate.
He said that a reply was to be sent
Immediately. and that this would set n
time limit within which the salute would
have to be agreed to by the Mexican
President
The President issued the following
statement, just sixteen minutes after he
mad reached the White House:
Gen. Huerta is still insisting upon do
ing something less than has been de-
naaded. and something less than would
constitute an acknowledgment that his
were entirely in the
wrong in the indignities they have put
upon the government OF the United
States.
The President has determined that IL
Gen. Huerta does not yield by o'clock
Sunday afternoon he viii take the matter
to Congress Monday"
Huerta's reply to Charge O'Shaugh-
Eessy had been made with greater frank
ness than had characterized his previous
communications Of the week. The Mexi-