The Washington herald., 1914-06-22
A Delicate Situation in Vera Cruz.

If Victoriano Huerta persists in ungratefully with
holding his the plan of the United States tc
throw him into the discard and install provisional
president of Mexico whose application for the job
bears the Endorsement 20. K, Venustiano Carranza,
or symbols to that effect if Carranza is too busy
planning to feed Huerts to the sharks to recommend
any of his friends for high federal Office; if Pancho
Villa won't desert the cockpit long enough to read
the bulletins from Niagara Falls; in short, if all OF
Mexioos patriotic statesmen prefer things as they
are to the pacific promises of mediation what viii be
the next step of the United States?
There is disposition to hang upon the words that
come from the mediation party as though the final
announcement of its failure will mean that this coun-
try is to go to war with Mexico-a conclusion alto
gether unjustifable and unreasonable. Armed forces
Of the United States are now in possession of Vera
Cruz by virtue of the authority conferred President
Wilson to them to compel Huerta to respect the
flag of the United States. In his address Congress
the President ventured the opinion that such authority
was vested in his Office of Commander-in-chief of the
Army and Navy, but said that he preferred to act
only with the full cooperation of Congress. He
phasized the fact that his quarrel was with Huerta
only, and that he had no thought of interfering in
any way with the internal affairs of Mexico with
the right of the people of Mexico to adjust them in
N''N
President may Withdraw them, leaving the situation
as it before the flag incident at Tampieo but the
power to declare war rests with Congress. He may
the troops in Vera Cruz for the pacihca-
ton of Mexico by force Nor he afford even to
risk giving Huerta opportunity to force hosttes by
sudden action to further his own ends.
The Presidents situation is delicate in the extreme
AS it stands it will be within Huertas power to
force a battle at Vera Cruz the moment mediation
collapses, if it does collapse Our army is there for
him to shoot at, if in his desperation such course
appeals to him; and thus more American blood may
be shed the internal troubles of Mexico, with
which this country should not be concerned Obvi-
ously, the President cannot appeal TO Congress to
declare while mediation is still in progress. and
when its ends in failure this grave question may be
determined for us by Huerta.
Besides is it within the bounds of possibility that
Congress would declare war with Mexico which
doubtless would mean war with Carranza and Villa
as well Huerta, because of any conditions which
exist? Congress would have been Enthusiastically
for intervention during the time when murder and
robbery of Americans and subjects of European ma
tonS of daily occurrence but for long period
such crimes have scarcely been heard Of and it is
difficult imagine the Senate which debated so long
before giving the President the cooperation he asked
in connection with the Tampico incident declaring
war in revenge for long list Of crimes of the past
of most of which the forces of Carranza and Villa
were guilty Assuredly Congress will not plunge this
nation into for the purpose of attempting TO
tranquility Mexico by establishing pro-
visonal government there which of the warning
factions seems to want. On no existing grounds is
this government in the least likely to deliberately
choose war with Mexico
Then, what should be next move, and should
wait for the announcement of failure at Niagara
Falls?