The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-02-23
SHAVING OF BENTON
 FOUL MURDER, SAY PAPERS OF ENGLAND
Honor of Great Britain De- clared Touched to Quick
 by Villas Act

London, Feb. 23-The killing of Wlly liam s. Bentcn, the Scottish ranch man, by the rebel Villa at Juarez. oc-. cupied the most prominent place in all the newspapers of the British Isles to T day The Manchester Guardian, re-
 Earded as one of the leading Liberal papers. says:
 ..It is impossible not to suspect that fhe execution of Benton was no better than murder. The facts are pretty clear but it is difficult to draw any lesson from them except that the Mex zcan leaders still conduct their war fare with the barbarity Of the middle ages and that President Wilson would be far from the end of his difficulties even though General Huerta were driven from him
 ..If there were only one Huerta, MT Wilson might be able to maintain a decent government based on the con sent Of the governed which he de- sires for Mexico, but there are too many Huertaz. Felix Diaz, Huerta himself, Garranza, yil1a-there is lit tie reason to suppose that any one of them would be less despotic than i the others or would consent to let
 Mexico say by whom she would be igoverned.,'
 All the evening newspapers devoted their leading articles to the subject 1 of Benton's death.
 | sAMURDER MOST FOULs' The Pail Mall Gazette, an opposition organ. under, the heading. It's Mur- der Most Foul says the staying of Benton was an event which touched the honor of the British name to the quick. The newspaper says that even l if the body which WAS styled a court martial really assembled, and even l if its sentence was based on true evil Idence and fair consideration thereof, Villa and his revolutionary bands have
 | no status as belligerants which erlti- ties tll-sn to try subjects of other pow lers by eourtnartia1.
 eff this pretense as to a courtmartia1
 should be the only result of the in- quiry being made by the United
 States government. the obligation of the United States to act as the man dator in civilization will remain 1 The Globe says:
 The result of the inquiry conduct led by the United States government
 will be awaited with restrained emo
 ton but it will have to be very con elusive in it's Justification of the act if 1t is to satisfy not only British but we are glad to think American opinion as wel1.''
 OBLIGATIONS POINTED OUT 1 Referring to President wilson's re- [ fusal to recognize Huerta as proyis-
 ienal president of Mexico. the Globe asks:
 l '-n it be proved that villa has un- justiffed1y done to death a foreign res- ident, how can the principles which Icondemn Huerta be reconciled with the Iapprobation and support of his ad- tversary. As the American government has undertaken to protect British sub jects in Mexico, it's obligation to act | promptly and effectively in the pres lent case is clear.''
 'I The Standard says: I We cannot believe that the United States government intends to refer Great Britain to General Huerta fol satisfaction. Such a policy would be inconsistent with the sense of respon- sibility which President Wilson must feel for Mexico"
 The Westminster Gazette takes the lstand that Villas proceedings in re
 gard to Benton must be iI1egel as the
 rebels have never been recognized.