The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1915-01-19
Is Historic and Touches on Some Fine
Points of International Law. State
Department Figures Very
Prominently.

necessarily causes - pressure from
one side or the other from all sorts
OF influences, which may be snist,
OF the reverse. The alteration OF
the neutrality. laws is grave duty
which ought to remain IN the bands
of Congress, which has the soc au
thority to declare war.
But Congress gave the President
that authority, and President Taft, as
| have said, laid the embargo on the
export of arms. The Madero Govern
ment was recognized by President
Taft. On January 20, 1913, little
less than year later, Felix Diaz
headed a revolution against the Ma
dero government in Mexico City and
attacked the palace. Gen. Huerta
who was in command of the Madero
forces, went over to Diaz and the
Madero government was overthrow.
Madero and the vice president. Suar-
ez, we're arrested by Huerta Febru-
airy IS and were forced to resign.
On February 20 Lascurain was sworn
In as Provisional President, and
about 4s hours later Madero and
suarez were killed. The manner OF
their death has never been made per-
fectly clear, but that they were un-
lawfully killed is, ] think beyond .
doubt.
Cen. Huerta then took over the
government, and In acco dance with
constitutional forms became PIovi-
sional President. This was so near
the 4th OF March that President Taft
took no action in regard to the HUI
erta government, feeling that he had
not the right to commit his success
sor on so important a point.
President Wilson came in on the
4th of March, and on the 10th of That
month the revolution headed bS Car
rama broke out in northern Mexico.
| Nothing, practically, WAS done In re-
yard to Mexican affairs until the FOL
| lowing summer, when the President
sent Mr.. Lind as his personal agent
to Vera Cruz and subsequently DEW
cred a message to Congress upon the
| Mexican situation. The instructions
to Mr.. Lind involved a demand In
the nature of an ultimatum upon
Gen. Huerta that he should abdlcate'
1t is not usual, Mr.. President, In
| entering into negotiations, no matter
| how informal or through an emissary
no matter how informal the ennis
| sary's position may be, to demand OF
, the head of the government with
whom that emissary is to commune
cate, that he should abdicate. Such
a demand crudely stated laid us open
to q telling retort, and that is the
reason why the letter of the then
secretary of foreign affairs In MeNi
co was so successful In his reply
Gen. Huerta refused to abdicate and
the correspondence which | have re-
ferred to ensued.
| Mr.. President, / was not one oil
those who was disposed to find fault
with the refusal to recognize Gen
Huerta, although there weas much 70
| be said in favor OF that course. There
were broad international grounds snd
sound international grounds upon
! which that refusal could have been
based. It was entirely possible to
say that Gen. Huerta's government
was unable to maintain international
relations, for over a large area oil
Mexico 1t exercised no authority. II
was possible and proper to say that
the recognition might entail the val
lidification OF the loans which the Hu
erta government was then attempting
In Europe, and which would have
pledged certain revenues OF Mexico
and thus deprived the United Sla'Hs
of securing indemnity for injuries tc
its citizens.
But those grounds, Mr.. President
we're not put forward. The groh'
on which recognition of Huerta VA
refused was what was called norm
al ground; that he was man OF ba'
character, who had reached the u'sh
est position in Mexico by trcacherou
and murderous methods. thinl
that highly probable. That is the wa!
supreme power has generally beei
acquired in Mexico. 1t has been al
tanned by force and accompanied b.
acts Of violence, which are repe Ian
to every man who believes in tn
reign OF law and in orde: ell freedom
But when We put or refusal o
recognition on the personal Groun
that the character Of the head OF N
Mexican government Mt that time wa
unsatisfactory to rs pro tanto W
interviewed We had an absolut
! ripht on international ground" 10 r