The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1914-04-27
The American People
Demand Reparation.

ne AIIlSIlCd1 1COPIC
Demand Reparation.
The flag Of a nation Is sacred
thing; 1t IL the emblem Of national
dignity and honor; and as such, 1t
must be respected or the nation which
IL represents must sink beneath the
contsmpt Of mankind.
Military authority representing Vic
tnriana Hnerta, de facro president Of
Mexico insu1ted the flag of the Uni
tad States In the city Of Tampicc. and
Admiral Mayo. commanding a United
STAKES batt1esh4p In that port, demand
ed reparation and apology to take the
form usual and customary among civ
dlfzed nations for that kind of affront.
in a saAute OF tvEenty-one guns.
HmertatS forces, In command at
Srarnpaco. had committed the offense.
and to Hnarta, de- facto president OF
Maxacn. the demand for reparation was
logically addressed. There was nobody
else to address 1t to. He declined to
make the apology demanded, and the
presidsrt OF thu United States had no
alAsEnsf4ve save 20 enforce that de-
nAud or to Fepu6aate. disavow, and
Apologize for Adnaaral Mayo's conduct
and cashier him for thus seeking to
uphold the honor OF his country.
There was no possible middle course
to pursue, Adnaral Mayo was the rep
resentat4ve OF the United States in
those Mexican waters. there upon
legitimate errand OF peace. AS an Of
ftcer OF the navy, he was bound to
protect the mag under which he sailed
from insult. II he could not be trust
ed to do this. the honor of that flag
should not be given into his keeping.
Wanton and fragrant Insult was offer
ed to the flag by the military forces
representing the dc facto president of
Mexico, and he demanded of that
president the usual apology for tndig-
mites petpetrated by his military SUBJ
ordinates. II he had done less than
this, he should have been drummed
out of the service whose record Of
honor he had thus degraded and dis
graced. Huerta refused to make the
reparation demanded
What then. was the president OF the
United States to do? Cashier a brave
commander for protecting the honor
OF his country's flag or sustain him
In the course Of honor and patriotism
Nwh4ch he had taken?
THIS qufb0ling about making war on
Hnerta, the individual, Is the ver1est
twaaddie. that might be excused in Car
ran8a. the Rebel chief. who believes
that he is at TIE head OF the Mexi-
can nation. but Il ia not conceivable
how ANYBODY else could employ it to
describe and dtscred1t President Will
son.S action. Huertas government,
usurpatAon. or what not, was the gov
eminent In authority at Tampico when
tkda insult was delivered by that gov
eruu1enrs military agents. The Ha-
erta government and no other was re-
sponsfble for the offense and therefore
the demand for reparat1on could be
made upon none other than the head
OF thst government; which was ac-
lowed IN only the logical sequence OF
that demanded and the failure to COM
ply with IL.
President Wilson has never recog-
nised victoriana Huerta as president
OF Mexico, because he believed that
he acquired that office by assassina-
tion and usurpation. He was, there
fore. not the de Jure president of Mex
leo, and to recognize him would have
implied sanction of the means by
which he acquired power, and that
would have been revolving to the
mLral sense Of the American people.
Eut Mr.. Wilson's failure to recog-
nize him, did not prevent Huerta from
being the de facto president whereyer
his authority held sway in his coun-
try. 1t is absolute at the nations
capital; IL is a fact at Tampico and
Vera Cruz; and, as such, 1t has been
treated by the government of the
United States. Facts are concrete
things and do not give way to dielec-
tic quibblingS or specious sophistries
The American people applaud the
spirit that prompted Admiral Mayo in
demanding reparation and apology for
the affront offered the flag of his
country. They honor their president
fer the courage and patriotism which
he has displayed in promptly coming
TO support of the sailor who stood
for tire national honor; and the pip
ing criticism of his conduct raised hsre
and there, is scarcely heard in the
tumult Of approval that his decisive
and patriotic action has awakened
from one end o. The land to the other
Their flag and their country's honor
are precious things in the sight of
American citizens, and neither politics
nor other consideration can tempt
them away from the patriotic love
and allegiance.