New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-06-18
War Between Villa and Carranza
Would Smash Many Wilson bryan
Illusions Concerning Mexico

70 tho friction between Carranza ana VIVA 'oaN
n an armed clash and division OF tne 49,,
,ionalist forces the pacihcation OF Mexico me-
dinlon,atic pressure will have to be dlslnisseu -
nresept calculations as more or less OF an
dream About the only substantial hope OF paein.
tiop through diplomatic settlement lay III '"e
ancno Of one united faction in Mexico against O."
other united faction. The unexpected WILLIE ne0
of the Huerta government to make concession "i''.
concession was due to its realization tnat II ""S
been nut on the defensive by rapid succesSio" y.
Constitutionalist victories and that its only nope
saving something from the wreck was TO line up De
hind an agreement accepted and guaranteed Oy Tue
United States.
n villa and Carranza get to fighting ana Tue
~ors+itrtionaI,st movement is wrecked by personal
iealousies and ambitions the Huerta ADMINISTRATOR
will take new heart It can hold in check divided
reyoutionist army. 1t might even be practicaOie
for Huerta to push forward and retaKe 1olreon
SaItillo Tampico and Monterey In case the VIVA
and anti-Villa contngents in the Constitutionahst
army engage in a civil war inside civil war.
Were the followers Of Carranza and villa to Degin
cutting one anothers threats Huertas pretenslon 10
represent ell that is stable in Mexican politcs "ouu
quickly revive. The United States would nave much
more difficulty in dealing with him. He might even
reconsider his tentative agreement to make way
for neutral with Consttutionalist proclivities. II
the bubble Of Constitutionalist power is pricKed
through the greed Of its sembandt leaders most OF
the eligibles for the provisional Presidency Win
Constitutionalist leanings will vanish over night
A struggle for control between villa and Car
rama would simply emphasize the fact that there
are left in Mexico elements powerful enough 10
stem the general drift toward anarchy. The ellml
nation of Carranza by Villa would parallel the ellm
nation of Madero by Huerta Mexico, restrained TOT
thirty years by Diaz seems ripe for return TO tne
old condition Of brigandage, outlawry and the rule
of brute force The fever is in the blood of the
people and threatens to burn itself out at an
enormous cost Of property anC fife
The Wilson administration has been loath to rec
ognize the real condition of affairs in Mexico While
spurning the Huerta government, it has leaned on
the hollow staff Of the Constltutionaist government
"A mere duplicate Of the Huerta establishment in
its appeal to violence and anarchy So long as these
two balanced each other in power there was pros
pect of a three-cornered agreement through which
the United States might escape complete respon-
sibility for setting Mexico's house in order But
if each faction shows itself sefseeking desperate
and Indispensable as the other, the pleasant flu
sion which the Wilson administration has long been
cherishing is shattered for good
Any American policy in Mexico. to be sensible,
must divorce itself from prepossessons in favor of
or against either local faction. Our interest is plain
We must protect the lives and property of Ameri-
cans in Mexico and the lives and property of the
subjects and citizens of European countries, since
under our Interpretation Of the Monroe Doc
trine we do not want any European nation to inter
vene in Mexico in fits own behalf. il the general
situation below the Rio Grande becomes as intoler-
able as the general situation in Cuba did in 1898 We
must go in and end it in our own interest and the
interest Of civilization. That is the primary object
of any sound American programme. Its attainment
through the help OF Huerta or Of Carranza, or of
both combined, is becoming more and more
doubtful But in the end the United States must
attain it. whatever happens to the two greed and
violence ridden factions fighting for the oppor-
tunity TO prey upon Mexico.