The sun., 1919-07-21
NEWEST INSULT
BY MEXICO MAY
LEAD US. TO ACT
Some Officials Convinced
Carranza Is No Longer
Tolerable.
BRITAIN is INVOLVED
Murder of Mine Official
Will Have to Be Salts
factorily Explained.
WILSON TO FIX POLICY
Mexican Officials Promise to
Punish Murderers of
j. w. COrrell.
WILSON TO FIX POLICY
Special Despatch to TIE sux.

NASH1NGTON, July ZO.-Ihe rODDing
Of American bluejackets and the af-
/ front to the Stars and Stripes on the
L. S. S. Cheyennes launch by bandits
under Carranza's control near Tam
pico may mean the end Of the Admin
istration's watchful waiting policy in
! Mexico.
| Officials will make no predictions
| pending full report on the facts. but
! It Is freely stated that much will de-
perd on Carranza's attitude toward
the urgent representations" made to
him by the State Department here.
! A serious turn to the situation is
given by the. frank statement of one
official that "the incident is grave"
! and by the belief expressed in respon-
sible quarters that there is really no
middle ground between watchful wait
! ing and actual war on the present
Mexican Government. This explana-
! tion is given to Justify the fact that
officials are scrupulously trying not to
offend Carranza and to answer the
charges made by newspapers that the
attack on the American sailors was
withheld from the public until it
leaked out.
d., News PurposeIy Withheld.
In this connection it is said that the
news purposeiy was withheld from
the public In the hope OF obtaining re-
suits through diplomatic overtures
without the embarrassment Of public
agitation here. But now that the facts
are out there will be no further at
tempt to conceal details Of the Incl
dent and popular agitation may con-
ceivably help rather than hinder this
Government in dealing with Carranza.
Acting Secretary of State Phillips to-
night announced that the Mexican Gov
ernment had advised the American EN-
bassy in Mexico city that It will exhaust
all means 10 capture and punish those
responsible for the murder OF John W
Correll and the attack on Mrs. Correl
Tho outrage was reported to the De
partment about two weeks ago. Mr.
Correll an American citizen, was
attacked in his home near Colonia, a bout
twenty-seven miles north OF Tampico.
The despatch to the State Department
which reported the attack said that the
assailants were members of rebe
raidng force Of approximately nifty
men. The American Embassy and the
Consulate at Tampico made urgent Ie.
quest to the Mexican Government tc
capture and punish the perpetrators and
l..
that district
Tonight the Department received a
message saying that as a result ths
Mexican Foreign ONCE yesterday told
the American Embassy that the Mexi
can Cove rnment will omit no efforts r
! the prosecution and punishment of those
responsible for crime so odious, in the
clearing up of which IL will exhaust al
, means al It's disposal"
May Have Been Planned.
The developments in the situation
which indicate potential seriousness are
these;
First. the fact that CarranzIs,as
are responsible for the attack and .he
added intimation that it may have .
been deliberately executed as n
means OF getting even for the recent
despatch OF American troops across
the border.
Second. the apparent reluctance of
Carranza TO do more than conduct
the usual farcical investigation"
, Third. the report that an English
man has been killed in Mexico.
The report concerning the murder o.
an Englishman is detailed and specif,
, and bears the earmarks OF authenticity
1t states that the English subject killed
was Theodore Patterson, mine superin
, tendent at the Mazapic Copper Compan,
, of Conception del Ore in the State o
Zacatecas. Diplomats here openly pre-
dict that il the report is verified ther,
/, will be immediate action of a yer,
! dehnite character required. for tn,
: British Government long has followed
policy OF never permitting British sub
jects to suffer at the hands OF foreigner
without going to extreme limits in get
ting complete satisfaction and redress
In this case the p tish authoritie
probably would consult the American
authorities in advance about measure
thought necessary, and this may be al
, added reason for a new American polio,
in Mexico.
Seeks to Avoid War.
a Advocacy OF what officials here de
scribe as strong arm methods 1,
5 Mexico is simpler than the actual carry
s ing out of any such plan, 1t Is ex
planned. The State Department admit
: its reluctance to indorse any sucl
n procedure IL It can possibly be avoided
I II Is felt at the Department that tn
Y American people do not want troubl
n with Mexico and that short of actua
2 war there is no indicated method o
e bringing Carranza TO terms.
e The occupation OF Tampico or Mexlcs
ports by the United States warships an
q Continued on Strth Pace