Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1916-07-06
NEW sooks.
4 Diplomats wife In alsxleo.

y diplomats wire IN Ugoxt00.
A book just put out by Harper's
is certain TO be widely read az
result OF the mess into which Oul
affairs With Mexico have fallen. II
is a collection of letters, written
by Mrs. Nelson O.s,haughnessy,
wife of the American charge dat
flares, 10 her mother, covering the
period OF Tuerta's regime in Mex
leo from the time Mr.. Onslaught
messy returned to the Mexican
capital after the overthrow of
Madero up to and including the
Vera Cruz incident. . Allowance
must be made for the partisans
ship of the writer. who is frankly
an admirer of llnerta and equally
frank i'm her criticism of Presi-
dent Wilson and Mr.. Bryan. hui
even with this agreed to, the rec
ord is one that throws some
startling light on the situation
Especially does il expose the pitt
liiul stupidity of the policy : don't
ed by the president Of the United
States and his premier in their
dealings with very serious in
ternatinnal affair. Pledged not to
mix in The internal affairs of their
lneighboring country. the author
titles at Washington went from
one mistake 10 another with
jcheerful optimism. always med
ding. sending ultimatums to
lIucrta and encouragement TO
Carranza and Villa. and John
Lind is shown al one time as ac-
lllally comforting with Zapata.
who, if possible, is more unspeak-
able i'm his villainy than Villa.
The pitiful aspect of John LIND
personal messenger from MI
son. without official standing,
ignored by Huerta and the rep
resentatives of other nations, out
of touch with his own embassy,
and spending ms time nj Vera
Cruz. where he had communities
tlons chiefly With the rebels.
whose cause he espOnsed, is made
clear by these letters. How little
either Mr.. Wilson or Mr.. BRYAN
understood of the Mexican char
acirr is incidentally shown hy
reference to several episodes.
One of these had to do with Sc
cnrin@ the release of Manuel
HonIall, a prominent Maderista
who sought asylum in the Amer
lean embassy. BOnilla gave his
parole moi To assist the rebel
cause, and under this promise
Was given safe escort 10 Vera
Cruz. from where ne immediately
joined Carranza. and later re-
lrelled against him. Violation of
parole was a slight thing for the
"pariOts.
An incident Illustrative of the
deIt and diplomatic manner with
which Washington handled it's
dealings With the Mexicans is
found i'm sentences running
through several of The letters.
Other embassies were bringing in
arms for f-protectiOn against
mob violence. O'Shaughnessy
was urged TO follow suit. He
hroached the matter to Hnreta.
who told him he might bring in
all The arms he Id pleased, hut
II must be done quietly" II was
then arranged that gatling guns
and Other weapons were to be
brought i'm as stationery and en-
bassy supplies. This report was
made To Washington, with full in
siructions as to shipping. The
guns did not arrive on time and
OShaughnessy heard nothing
from them. He was getting a lit
Tie uneasy, when al breakfast one
morning he read i'm the Mexican
Herald of The fuss kicked up at
Vera Cruz because the American
charge was importing arms.
Imagine his CONSERVATION on
lindlng. as result Of a personal
"TRIP to Vera Cruz, that the gat-
ling gums had reached the ems
toms house there. accompanied
by an invoice signed by the com
handing officer of the Spring
Held armory. II was on this
basis HE delicate negotiations
through the critical period were
handled.
Mrs. O'Shaughnessy's letters
are full of The personal touch. of
DIS oil embassy gossip. chats with
H'lefla and emba ssadOrs and min
listers OF other countries, and high
officials and prominent citizens
OF Mexico and visitors from
America, and make up very inn
portant contribution to the lit
eratllrc OF the most dramatic pc
rod i'm recent Mexican history
Omaha Bee.
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Tina Ana H. NAInnSnI