Evening star., 1923-12-28
MEX|CO'S bR0|LS
DISTURBING T0U.S.
Failure to Settle Problems
Disappointing and Serves
to Halt Many Projects.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

Disappointment over the failure Of
Mexico to solve her internal problems
Is unconcealed. here. Hope has not
been lost by any means. in fact con-
hdence in the ultimate ability of the
Obregon government to pacify the
country is undiminished. But there
10 no question about the setback
given various projects which might
have been weIl on the way to set
tlenlont had not revolution broken
| out.
The difficulty in Mexico arises. of
course, in connection with the am
pitions of rival candidates. At one
Time IT was insisted that the reelec-
tion privilege caused most Of the dis
anection and brought on revolution.
The new constitution adopted In 1917
forbids reelection, but the present
outbreak Is due almost entirely to
the claim of the de la Huerta fac
tIon that the Sbreson government
was seeking to iApose its will on the
gon group into the presidency.
Election Date Fixed.
The presidential elections have
been scheduled for next June but IT
Is within the power Of the incum.
bent administration to postpone them
IL the country Is In a state Of revo-
luton.
Under the new constitution the
pT esidenttal term is for six years and
u expires automatically. so that any
PRESIDENT elected In 1925. if the cleo
tons should be postponed until then,
would serve the remainder of the six.
year term beginning in 1924.
Tne United States government e1-
tended recognition to the Obregen
government only recently. and it will
alwQya be dpha a hla
whether the Obreson administration
would have been better able to cope
with revolution IL the recognition had
come sooner. The American govern
ment tried hard to persuade the
Mexican authorities that an agree
nient on the basic questions would
speed recognition, but the usual de-
lays were encountered, and now,
funds and supplies with which to
handle the revolution, its external
credit Is not as good as II might nave
been had an agreement with the
United States been reached at an
earlier date.
So far as the Washington govern
ment is concerned, there has been
no act or word of Interference or
suggestion OF sympathy with the
various factions, as II Is regarded
here as solely matter for the Mex
| leans themselves to settle: 1t is
certain, however that neither side
will at this time wish to do any
| thing that would incur i'll feeling
in tine United States. Under present
federal statutes arms and ammuni-
| tion can be exported from the
| United States only to the forces Of
| the recognized government-namely
the Obregon administration. The
I sending of supplies to the de la
Huerta troops is a violation of neu-
| trality laws. This means that the
| American government stands by the
Obregon administration just as long
as the latter appears to be In control
| of the situation.
Rule Heretofore Followed.
| In the past under similar circum-
/ stances when a recognized govern
| ment has collapsed che United States
placed an embargo on arms forbid
! ding the export of arms and supplies
4 to any Mexican faction SO that strict
| neutrality can be observed as be-
| tween the contesting forces. This
| also is permitted by resolution Of
| Congress adopted In 1912.
The hope is expressed here that the
/ Obregon administration will continue
| to merit the support to which a rec
| ogntzed government Is entitled and
| there continues feeling of optimism
[ that the Mexicans will at any mo-
ment enter into a truce whereby free
, dom of restraint in the next elections
| can be guaranteed and the causes of
/ the present outbreak removed.