Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1914-04-24
NOT MEXICO, BUT
HUERTA IS ISSUE
PRESIDENT TELLS CONGRESS HE
PROPOSES TO UPHOLD
NATIONS HONOR.

Why the affronts of Gen. Huerta
demanded immediate and decisive
action by the United States and what
those affronts were. were told
by President Wilson in his per-
sonal address to Congress last
Monday. in which he outlined
the whole situation with regard
to Mexico, emphasized the fact
that his attitude was not directed to-
ward the Mexican nation or the Mexi-
can people, but aimed solely at Gen.
Huerta, and declared that he propts-
ed to uphold the dignity of the United
States.
The president said:
Gentlemen of the congress:
1T is my duty to call your atten-
ton to situation which has arisen
in our dealings with Gen. Victoriano
Huerta, at Mexico City, which calls
for action, and to ask your advice and
cooperation in acting on il.
con the ninth OF April paymas-
ter OF the u. S. s. Dolphin lanied at
the Iturbide bridge landing at Tam
pico, with a whaleboat and boats
crew to take Off certain supplies need
ed by his ship and while engaged In
loading the boat was arrested by an
officer and squad of men Of the army
of cen. Huerta. Neither the paymas-
ter nor any one Of the boats crew
were armed Two of the men who
were in the boat when the arrest took
place were obliged to leave 1t and
submit to be taken into custody not
withstanding the fact that tho boat
carried, both at her bow and at her
stern, the flag of the United States.
The officer who made the arrest was
proceeding up one Of the streets OF
the town with his prisoners when met
by an officer of higher authority. who
ordered him to return to the landing
and await orders. and within an hour
and half from the time of the arrest,
orders were received from the COM
mander of the Huerta forces at Tam
pico for the release of the paymaster
and his men.
Apologies Are Made.
"The release was followed by apo
logies from the commander and later
by an expression of regret by Cen
Huerta himself. Gen. Huerta urged
that martial law obtained at the time
at Tampico. that orders had been ts-
sued that no one should be allowed
to land at the Iturbide bridge, and
that our soldiers had NO right to land
there.
"Our naval commanders at the port
had not been notified of any such
prohibition, and. even il they had
been, the only justifiable course open
to the local authorities would have
been to request the paymaster and his
crew to withdraw and to lodge . pro-
test with the commanding ofiicer OF
the feet. Admiral Mayo regarded the
arrest as so serious an affront that he
was not satisfied with the apologies
offered, but demanded that the nag
of the United States be saluted with
special ceremony by the military COM
mander of the port.
"The incident can not be regarded
as a trivial one. especially az two OF
the men arrested were taken from the
boat, itself-that is to say, from the
territory Of the United States. but
had it stood by itself, it might have
been attributed to the ignorance or
arrogance of a single officer. Unf0r-
tunately, it was not an isolated case.
Disregard for the United States.
"A series Of incidents have recently
occurred which can not but create
the impression that the representa-
tives Of Cen. Huerta were willing to
20 out of their way to show disregard
for the dignity and rights OF thts
government and felt perfectly safe In
doing what they pleased, making free
to show in many ways their irritation
and contempt.
"A few days after the incident ut
Tampico an orderly from the U. 8. q
Minnesota was arrested at Vera Crus.