Evening star., 1924-03-15


During the First Wilson Adminis-
tratiOn.
None of Woodrow Wilson's policies
to understand than the complicated
relations with Mexico. The author
happened to have played a part in
Ilse course OF events growing out OF
The Mexican situation as early as
sOctober, 1910. when President Taft
1and Secretary Knox were dealing
with these perpleXing questions. II
was during the Taft administration
that the author, as n representative
cf the Associated Press, was privi-
legged to win the confidence Of both
the Madero and Diaz factions and to
assist in bringing about an armistice
:.nd subsequently, at Juarez. Mexico
the signing of treaty of peace
whereby the Madero revolution was
formally terminated and bloodshed
avoided.
The author was engaged in report
ing the events of the Mexican revolu-
lion in 1912 when instructions were
s.nt by the A. Sociated Press to
proceed to Gov. Wilson'S headquarters
and begin a daily chronicle of MIR.
Wilson'S activities as presidential
sndidars Nhile aeGompanglns com @ the
York to Trenton. word came of the
capture of President Madero and Vice
president Pine Suarcz by Victoriano
JIuerta- who made himself dictator
in Mexico. Mr.. Wilson told the news
paper men with him that he did not
believe any harm would befall either
Aiadero and Suarez He was deeply
shocked, therefore. when he heard of
1he brutal murders which followed.
Question of Recognition.
Secretary Knox of the State De-
a'artment, accustomed as he was to
the habits of the countries below the
Rio Grande, was not inclined to make
an issue of the murder and refuse rec
ognition because, as a practical thing,
The United States goernment had In the
past extended recognition wherever a
government seemed to be in military
. control OF the situation. Inquiry was
never made TOO closely into the vir-
tues of any particular individual or
:toup of individuals in a Latin Amer
ican government. The Taft-Knox
administration was ready to recog-
1ize the Huerta regime, but aSkeI
Tor q. settlement of the troublesome
boundary dispute in the Chamizal
mistakenly believing that better
terms could be secured from the Will
son administration. procrastinated
and the 4th of March, 1913, arrived
with no recognition extended.
Secretary Knox instructed Hunt
tngton Wilson. assistant secretary of
state. TO get in touch with Mr.. Will
son before the inauguration and ad-
affairn affe n'm Tha 81 the status of & Mexican
suspicious and did not act according
TO the advice given him. Nor did he
accept in later weeks the counsel of
Henry Lane Wilson. the American
ambassador at Mexico City. largely
because he believed Ambassador Will
son mad played too intimate a part
in Mexican affairs and was himself
a party to too many unofficial and
informal compromises with the
Huerta administration. When Am
bassador Wilson returned to the
United States and Nelson O'Shaugh
messy was left in charge of the Am
rrican embassy in Mexico City the
same distrust of O'Shaughnessy was
apparent, although the reasons for 1t
were not the same. Mr.. O'Shaugh
messy was on intimate terms with
Huerta and President Wilson believed
that OShaughnessy did not press
with proper vigor and emphasis the
notes being sent to the Huerta ad
miniStration.
Although President Wilson was
must CO." he was never anxious to
precipitate a controversy With Mex
leo involving the use of physical
force.
Iind's Visit to Mexico.
The dispatch of former Gov. Lind
OF Minnesota to Mexico as an un-
official envoy rather than commits
sioner was decided upon as a means
OF getting impartial reports on the
situation in Mexico. Gov. Lind had
had no experience in the diplomatic
world or in Latin America. but his
reports Impressed both President
Wilson and Secretary Bryan as lucid
:.nd accurate. Mr.. Wilson had the
idea, however, that the Mexican pol
icy on which he was embarked would
haye All influence upon other parts
of Central and South America. THE
' arbitrary uSurpation of power and
especially the overthrow of govern
lnents by physical force had unset
tied Latin America for generations.
president Wilson became convinced
OF the necessity of taking such
stand in order that something might
lac done toward Stabilizing the gov
urnmental situations in Latin Amer
lea. Confirmation of this view was
publicly given when Mr.. Wilson made
his famous speech at Mobile early
in 1914. declaring that the United
States did not wish to add another
fo6t of territory in the western
hemisphere by conquest and that the
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