The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1916-01-14
HLER7A. TYPICAL FlGHT7EVG NAN or
llEXICO, DIES EFgLLYLN.BEI

& Z - Us = - ~
preston OF the first uprising led BY
General FeItx Dia1 sina october. 1919.
IN the second Felix Diaz revolution
which resulted In the overthrow OF
the EMadefo RoTernments Huerta was
Immediately called; 10 active command
as the senior ranking general then
at the capital. He escorted MRdero
from Chapult9pec Castle to- the Pal
ace9on the first OF the ten dayss2 fight.
ingiand was placed In entire command
OF the forces OF the government. he
directed the lgoyernmentt troops during
all the esubsequents al Citing, and the
conduct OF Sthese Operations led TO
severe criticism on the partof Ma
dero'sl friends. 1t was charged that he
did not carry out the operations in
any spirits hat The sdisobeyed the com.
mands %of sPreside Maderosa and that
beforen General Banquet entered the
city It was this conference which seal.
ed the fate of the Maderos: Ss
3. Huerta was the moving spirit in the
contamination of the plot that result.
ed In the seizure Of the person OF
Presid dent Madero and his brother Gus
taye. SsF
Tie assassination OF President Ma,
deroi and his brother followed and IN
the meantime sHuerta, with the mil
itary behind him, had been recognt-
zed as the Provisional President. !.
Huerta took office as Provisional
President on February 19, 1913. Three
days afterward francisco Maderoi one
Of his brothers who had been arrested
with him, and Jose Maria Pine Suaraz;
vice-president under Madero, were as.
sasinated while riding under guard
from the palace to the penitentiary. :
This crime aroused storm OF In
dignation throughout the United States
and In many quarters there were de.
mands for Intervention but President
Taft, who was on the eve Of leaving
office. decided to take no action which
might commit the incoming admins.
tration of President Wilson.
Immediately on assuming office,
President Wilson refused to recognize
Huerta as the head OF the Mexican
government in spite Of the fact that
such recognition had been granted by
Great Britain. At the same time the
Maderistas rallied under Venusttano
Carranza, Governor of Coahuila, and
Francisco Villa; declared against ,Huer-
ia. Ss So.
Following the refusal of President
Wilson ito Frecoghtze the Provisional
Presid ent, United States Ambassador
Henry Lane Wilson was recalled from
Mexico City. The situation between
the United States and Mexico then
remained at "a practical deadlock un.
TIL August, when, President Wilson
sent John Lind former. governor OF
Minnesota, to the Mexican capital as
his personal representative: Mr.. Lind
presented certain proposals to Huerta,
chief Of which was. that the Proyis;
ional President should resign and per-
nit. a nationals election at which he
would not be candidate Huerta per-
emptorily rejected these proposals.
In the meantime the Mexican con.
grsss had. been growing FESTIVE and
one Senator. had the hardwood 10
make an open attack on. Huerta IN
the Senate chamber. He promptly DIS
appeared and when his colleagues de-
manded !, an, Investigation Huerta
marched al body OF troops into the
Hall Of Congress, seized Ito deputies
and threw them in jail;
His next step was ito call an cleo.
tton at which only Huertistas were
allowed to vote with the result that
he4was declared president with Cen
eral Banquet vlce'president. Mr..
Lind again demanded that Huerta re-
sign, and, meeting with second re-
fusal, left Mexico City on NoVem-
Der IL for Vera Cruz.
Throughout the winter the tension
between the United States and Mex
leo continued to grow more acute.
American warships were dispatched
to Mexican waters and q large num-
Der Of troops were concentrated on
the border. AT the same time the Con
stitutionalists, as the Carranza fac
ton called themselves: advanced from
the north, defeating the Huerta troops
in battle after battle.
= The climax came In April when a
party of American bluejackets was
seized at Vera Cruz and thrown into
Iail: The Americans were quickly re-
leased but Huerta refused President
Wilson demand for formal salute
to the Stars and Stripes as q measure
Of reparation. On April IL American
NbIuejacketS and marines landed lat
Vera Cruz In force and occupied the
city after some street fighting in
which number Of Americans were
killed.
shortly; after a mediation proposal
was made by Argentina. Brazil and
Chile and accepted. Conferences were
held at Niagara Falls, but brought no
decisive results.
Matters dragged along until July z.
when Huerta, his finances exhausted.
his army beaten and disorganized, his