The Holly chieftain., 1924-01-10
NEWS REVIEW OF
CURRENT EVENTS
Sale of U. S. War Material
to Government of Mexico
Loudly Protested.
BY EowAHb W. PlckARp

BY EpWARb w. PlcKARp
e URPLUS war material Is being sold
~ to the Mexican government, the
first shipments OF arms and ammunl-
tion having already been received AT
Mexico City. President Obregon sent
a special emissary to Washington to
ask this favor, and the granting Of
1t was approved by President Cool
1dge on the recommendation of Sec
Tetary of State Hughes, though the
amounts to be sold will be far less
than Obregon requested.
Opposition to the transaction has
promptly appeared in both house and
the senate and Is not confined to the
Democrats, though. the opponents of
the administration perhaps are loudest
In their denunciation. Representa-
tive Fairchild of New York, Republl
can, jumped to the front with joint
resolution to write into the permanent
law of the country the prohibition of
the sale of ar1us or ammunition to any
Foreign government, which was the
policy of the late President Harding,
THE sale to the Obregon govern
ment Is astounding" said Mr.. Fair
child. II am surprised it should ever
be thought Of There is no essential
difference between furnishing firearms
and furnishing men to fire the arms.
Thls act constitutes just Ms much
interference and amounts to Just us
much slaughter"
Senators Norris, King and others
were only little less outspoken in
their opposition to the sale, and Sena-
tor Hiram johnson In his Cleveland
speech Thursday. opening his Ohio
campaign, did not neglect to include
fhe episode in his Indictment Of the
administration, The Democrats have
evolved the theory 1t Is political
move, pointing out that the diplomatic
peace with Mexico is to be used In the
coming election as one of the great
Coolidge accomplishments If revolu-
tion upsets the government that has
Just been recognized, that recognition
could hardly be counted as an admin
istration asset.
1t Is understood Secretary Hughes
~eNNA>~ eAS otauu pOlktlCul
ties In Mexico, Central America and
south America should be settled by
the ballot rather than by the bullet
that this government should at no time
encourage revolutionary movements
that seek the overthrow of regularly
constituted governments, and should
not reject appeals for aid similar to
the one made by the Obregon govern.
ment
There has not yet heen anything like
a decisive battle between the federal
and revolutionary forces in Mexico.
but both sides are exceedingly active.
The former, according to dispatches
from Mexico City, are now advancing
on Vera Cruz from the south, west
and north. The rebels have defeated
the army Of General Cardenas In Jalis-
co, that commander being wounded
and captured and General Navarro
being killed Carde1as was lured into
trap and the resulting fight was
bloody and desperate. This was the
most serious reverse the Obregon
forces have sustained and opened for
the insurgents communication between
Guadalajara and the Pacific ports. The
rebels announced Thursday that they
were beginning an advance on Puebla
and Mexico City from Vera Cruz
IT'S poor week for news when there
1 is not some trouble In the Balkans
Last week came up to the mark with
the prospect of warfare between Jugo-
slavia and Bulgaria. OF course they
are always nt swords points, but now
the situation has become acute On
Wednesday the Bulgarian government
gave permission for the return to the
country of ex-King Ferdinand, who
was responsible for dragging Bulgaria
into the World war on the side of
Germany. At once Jugo-Slavia sent
TO Sofia an ultimatum protesting
against this action and also against
the secret increase of the Bulgarian
army and alleged Bulgarian menace TO
Aegean ports. Serbian troops we're
modified on the frontier and were