Evening star., 1927-03-13
PERSONALITIES DOMINATE
u. S.-MEXICO RELATIONS
Diplomatic Leaders of Both Nations
Hive Been at Fore in Affairs of
Republic to the South.

| his predecessor, and after them Car
ranZa and de la Huerta, Obregon and
| Gales. Every schoolboy knows the
names. while none could name tha
presidents Of France in the same pc
| riod-certalnly not those of ArCen-
| tina nor of Cuba. The curse of Mex
leo has been "personalism. tho fol-
| lowing of leaders. the domination OF
| personalities. And vet Washington
| has worked with the situation as it
/ found it, and as ii found the men, has
| sought to make the Kaleidoscope
shifts that have been visited upon the
| MeXicans, who could not help but
| follow.
In the past years. since the Madero
revolution, however. the American
| personalities in the Mexican situation
have taken, as II by reflection, aImosg
! the Importance of the Mexican Sc".
sonalities themselves. American am
bassadors have become deeply ldenti.
| fled with Mexican relations, and their
personalities have swayed the situa-
ton almost as much in appearance.
and probably actually more. than did
that of Joel Poinsett with his warning
"forkinos" marching to battle against
the doughty "Escoseses." American
Secretaries of State have entered into
the Mexican situation with a power
which often they have not realized
even TO the slightest degree, and the
stamp Of a Bryan, a Hughes and q
Kellogg, even of a shorter termed
Lansing and Colby. have been burnt
| into the Mexican situation as IL their
names and their thoughts were red
hot brands.
Mexicans Attack Wilson.
To this day Mexico Is keeping alive
us attack on Henry Lane Wilson both
In the American and Mexican press.
ana the capable diplomat who was
American Ambassador to Mexico when
Diaz fed and when Madero died has
oeen accused of fomenting in his own
embassy IN Mexico City the plot which
put Madero to death and raised vic.
torlano Huerta to the presidency. No
more capable or friendly power ever
entered the field of Mexican-American
relations that Henry Lane Wilson. and
no more scrupulous patriot ever
steeped himself in the political and
human issues of his post than he did
IN Mexico. Probably If his advice had
| oeen needed much of the blood and
terror that have filled Mexico in the
past decade would have been avoided
But Joel Poinsett had meddled blood.
| n.y. and so, many Mexicans thought
ana think, Henry Lane Wilson would
make an excellent scapegoat.
IN the years after the rupture OF
dlp!omatlc relations between the
United States and Mexico that came
atter Mr.. Wilson's recall, such names
as that OF John Lind OF Minnesota
ana other personal Observers OF
FFesioent wilson stalked the board
or Mexico like Booth in Hamlet
dominating the situation. one "a.
pable charge d'affaires, George r.
Summerlin. now minister TO Honduras.
niled the long gap during broken re.
| latons, while MIR. Teller was charea
mere. Henry Prather Fletcher. now
ambassador at Rome, was a dorninaf.
ing figure as ambassador in Mexico
| during the World War, and when he
returned to Washington to become
Cndersecretary of State, held the
situation taut and declined firmly and
| without recourse to be shifted ~.
disturbed by Mexican pronase1.,,r-.
| and an endless chain of American
and foreign unofficial messengers''
VINO broke their gold-tipped lancas
against his firm wisdom. White Hecr~.
tary Hughes was studying the long
history of Mexican relations NJ
Fletcher held the fort. Personalitv a.
was. and frankly. But 1t was the Ne4-
leans who insisted that il be personal
ana tney got, one would think, alrno q
enough from the undersecretarv. with
Sapt. oummerlln and another capable
uIplomat' Matthew Hanna, on the 100
in Mexico.
Payne Aided Warren.
When relations were resumed with
Obregon, I'm 1923, the first American
ambassador was Charles ReecheI.
warren, who had already become so
10 speak dominating personal fac
tor. For 1t was he who. with the
wise and unadvertised counsel OF
10An barton Payne, former Secretary
OF the Interior and chairman of m.
Red Cross. negotiated the traatias,
snat led to Obregon's recognition
mr. warren has never since cegsed 10
ne an important personal element in
~ ~eilo he1lcan situation. He did not
remain long as ambassador ba1,i,1,~
assumed the post only 10 set tbjn1S
going easily and finished the naco.
Slalioii OF the arrangements for the
Two ciains commissions to settle ouf.
seaIiuins s'-a damage claims between the
a flrm friend of Mexico and the
Mexlcans have looked upon him. ner-
sonaiIy, as one of the safest advocatas
VI ienlency IN the inner circles of
washington. He has. indeed. come 10
washington again and again To ad.
wise with Secretary Kellogg. Assists
ant secretary or State Olds (vho has
Deen IN direct personal charge OF fire
IesaI phases or the Mexican contro-
Es Sersy ana ais'o with the President.
Mr.. Warren recently advocated II,
MS own name, the submission ~ tba
controversy over the land and oil
laws TO the General Claims Commits
SION set up under one of the treatias
ne negotiated in 1923. The nerson.
aity OF CHARLES Beecher Warren has
certainly been potent one In Wash
Inston' SO Tar as Mexico is Concerned
AS the chief advocate of a mild
tpSuncy, ne Is equally famous in
en-, IN this day OF personalities.
Tnere remains on the list one other
outstanding American personaii,,,
Little has been written about tbs
ulplonacy OF James Rockwell Shef.
leio' the present Ambassador to Max.
lco' out probably there Is no rnora
powerful or important figure in the
&hole picture than that OF this Nav
iork lawyer, who at 81 is both the
snleid ana the lance of Washington IA
Inexlco. Mr.. Sheffield is accused OF a
vast variety of things by the Maxicans.
and by the apologists for Pres,idant
Gales In the United States. one OF
the latter remarked the other daxr fhst
Mr.. Sheneld was q fine man. b,if ha
was too Realistically inclined to IN.
derstand the fiower.like mind of tha
Mexican revolutionaries. The Mexf.
cans say sadly that Mr.. Shefleld
hasn't changed his ideas about Mexicd
SINCE ne went there, and that a man
who doesn't change his ideas ahons
.hings isn't the man to be Ambassadot
% Mexico. where open-mindedness is
ewel of the first water.
Firmness Is Needed.
This personality. legalistic and mol
nor ind ofl +