The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-03-01
PRESIDENT NEEDS SUPPORT OF WHOLE NATION IN CRISIS Will Not Be Influenced by Clamor for Intervention
 in Mexico SEXTON INCIDENT
 ADDS TO GRAVITY Disappointment Is Felt That Consti- tutionalist Cause Has Not Devel- oped Leader of Higher
 Type Than Villa
Ky c. E. STEWART

Fly c. E. STEWART
 Washington. February 8.-(Special) Washington Is all excited over another Mexican crisis. Life in the state depart ment is just one Mexican crisis after an ether, anyway, but the recent one brought about by the atrocity committed by the rebel chieftain Villa putting to death Will am s. Benton, a British subject at Jaurez has placed a grave aspect upon the sit uation in northern Mexico hitherto not so acute.
 There is a general feeling in Washing ton, which must be discounted because of the freshness on the minds of the peo- pie of Villas last brutal act, that this government cannot very much longer avoid activities in Mevito. President Will son, however, cannot and will not be scwept off his feet by a wave of sud- denly inflamed public sentiment; that has been demonstrated already time and time again during the present vexatious situa- ton in Mexico. But there is steadily growing the belief that ultimately a clash must come. The administration has be- ] lieved all the time that sooner or later the hold of Huerta must crumble, and that the constituencies would obtain ! the control of Mexico. The administra- 2 lion realizes that even then there may be and will be difficulties-that there must arise from the ranks of the rebels some . man strong enough and big enough to be the man of the hour in Mexico; a pa- triotic man, with the good of the country at heart. But certainly this man is not Villa, who hourly becomes more impos- sible, and yet who looms us as the most 1nfapOniStic tO n Mexico.
 Get Rid of Huerta
 The primary object aimed at by this . government is to get rid of Huerta. Huerta is intolerable; his successor may not be ideal man, but anyone is pre- ferable to Huerta. The raising of the embargo on arms and ammunition was believed to be by the administration a step toward the elimination of Huerta and it only taken after the most careful and serious consideration of the situation in Mexico, from inside informa- tion of which the public has had only oc- casional glimpses.
 It was argued that the President was arming a people with our guns, which eventually they might turn against us, and the President keenly felt that re- sponsibility. But he took it after an in- Nestigation pending over several months, and he took 1t with as full a knowledge
 
 be obtained. The President realizes the awful expense in lives and money that must arlSe out of armed intervention in Mexico. He is particularly and anxiously concerned in an endeavor to avoid such conflict in every way honorable. If it comes. it will only come after there is absolutely other avenue that we can travel and preserve our national integ- Iity and dignity.
 It is realized here that the killing of Benton greatly increases the difficulties of the administration. There is apt to come, now, an inereaser foreign clamor and more or less diplomatic pressure for action by this government. This will en- courage the jingoes at home, who will double their efforts to arouse public sen tment The question is, how long can the calm and confident figure in the White House hold out against this pres l sure? He should have and is getting the support of the thoughtful leaders of the country irrespective of party ties.
 Villa OvershadOws Carranza
 What is regarded as the most unfortu nate development recently in Mexico is the fact that Villa has completely over shadowed Carranza and without ques- l ton is now entirely out from under any semblance Of control of the original leader of the rebel forces whose moral character and standing have been the has uf q hope that if the rebels were 9us eventually something like a 1t.. -ustitutional authority might be set Ep ln Mexico.
 Nllla's s arrogance independence and ut ter defiance of all rules of civilized war fare and his apparent complete domina- tiop of the forces of which Carranza was supposed to be the supreme chief, have dissipated all such hopes, unless before the fall of Huerta some powerful force arises that can check the former bandit chieftain.
 If Villa sucoeeds Huerts there will be little to congratulate Mexico about. This reckless prigand who deals in high-sound- ;ns phrases and commits unlawful and authorized acts and murder: illiterate and unprincipled advocate of liberty, l is not calculated to restore confidence ar peace in Mexico. if he assumes con | troi, as it Is believed he will in the event of the fall of Huerta. No wonder the 1 burden of this situation weighs heavily l upon the administration, and the Presi- 1 dent needs the sympathy and counsel of the entire nation in a situation trying and 1 delicate in the extreme. One thing is sure, 1 the public can rest completely in the as- surance that the President will know what he is doing before he acts. and | nothing nasty can be forced upon him.