OCR Text |
Show -MP URGES MUNITIONS ID F00DJDE0 Carranza Government Sends Note to United States and Other Neutrals Regarding Regard-ing War in Europe, WASHINGTON". Feb. 12. Revolution -swept Mexico's tie facto government entered en-tered the lists as an international peacemaker peace-maker today with an identic note to all neutrals, proposing a joint effort to end the European war, to be followed in the event of failure by the cutting off of all exports of munitions and supplies to belligerents. bel-ligerents. The communication was handed to the etatevdcpartment by R. P. de Negri, irge of the Carranza embassy here. It y- was received with expressions of mingled amusement and gravity in official quarters. quar-ters. There had been no decision tonight as to the American government's response, re-sponse, but the prevailing opinion was that Secretary Lansing would eply promptly and briefly, referring to the futile fu-tile effort of President Wilson to bring About peace, and pointing out that under existing conditions an embargo on exports would be a breach of neutrality. German Influence Alleged. A mong entente diplomats Carranza's action was denounced as another evidence of German influence in Mexico, and as a further effort to becloud the issue and embarrass the United States In the situation situa-tion resulting from Germany's new submarine sub-marine campaign. Officials of the government gov-ernment were not so outspoken in voicing their opinions, but those who commented informally frankly expressed the same view. It became known tonight that a proposal pro-posal similar to the one now brought forward for-ward officially was made- at one of the closing sessions of the Mexican-American joint commission, which recently attempted attempt-ed to solve border difficulties. Luis Cabrera, Ca-brera, minister of finance in Carranza's cabinet and head of the Mexican commissioners, commis-sioners, suggested to the Americans that he had hoped the commission not only would settle disputes between the United States and Mexico, but might bring peace to the world. An embargo on exports was his plan. Mexico's exports to Europe are considerable- and of vast importanre to the entente en-tente allies. Enormous quantities of oil for the British fleet ate drawn from the English -owned oil fields on the Mexican east coast. The Carranza note, handed to the state department by R. p. de Negri, charge of the Mexican embassy, says, in part: Over two years ago there began on the old continent the most gigantic armed conflict which history records, sheading death, desolation and misery Tiong the belligerent nations. This ;raglc struggle has deeply wounded, the sentiments of humanity of all the countries not taking any parttcipa-tion parttcipa-tion In the struggle, and it would not Just or humane that these nations s;dd remain indifferent before such great disaster. A deep sentiment of human brotherhood therefore obliges the Mexican government to offer its modest co-operation in order to bring about the cessation of the struggle. The present European war seems to the whole world as a great conflagration, conflagra-tion, as a great plague that ought to have been Isolated and limited long ago in order to shorten its duration and avoid its extension. Far from that, the commerce of the neutral countries of the whole world, and particularly that of America, has a great responsibility before history, because be-cause all of the neutral nations, more or less, have lent their assistance in money, in provisions, in munitions or in fuel, and in this way have fed and prolonged thts great conflagration. Obligations of Neutrals. By reason of high human morals and for their own national preservation, preserva-tion, the neutral nations are obligated to abandon this procedure and also to refuse to continue lending this assistance as-sistance that has made possible the continuation of the war for over two years. To this end the Mexican government, gov-ernment, acting within the most strict respect for the sovereignty of the countries at war, inspired by the highest humanitarian sentiments, and guided at the same time by the sentiments senti-ments of self -conservation and defense, de-fense, permits itself to propose to the government of your excellency, as it is also doing to the other neutral governments, gov-ernments, that, working in mutual accord ac-cord and proceeding upon the. basis of the most absolute equity for both groups of combatant powers, it invite in-vite them to put an end to the present pres-ent war, either by themselves or taking tak-ing advantage of the good offices or of the friendly mediation of ail the nations that jointly may accept this invitation. If within a reasonable length of time peace cannot be established by this means, the neutral countries will then take the necessary' measures in order to confine the conflagration to Its strict limits, refusing to the belligerents bel-ligerents all kinds of elements and stopping the merchant traffic with the nations of the world, until the end of the war is achieved. Disregards Law. The Mexican government recognizes that in its proposition it steps aside a little from the principles of international interna-tional law which until now have been In force in the relations of the neutrals neu-trals with the belligerents. But we ought to recognize that the present European war is a conflict without any precedent in the history of humanity, hu-manity, which demands .supreme effort ef-fort and new remedies that cannot bo found within (he narrow and somewhat some-what egotistical limits of international internation-al law as known up to date. The government of Mexico understands under-stands that no neutral nation, powerful power-ful as it may he, could by itself take a step of this nature, and that the result re-sult of this measure only can be reached with the co-operation of the neutral governments possessing the greatest international influence before be-fore the belligerent nations. Tt pertains especially to the United States, Argentina. Brazil and Chile, in America; and to Spain, Sweden and Norway, in Europe which are more influential and mors at liberty to take a determined stand before the belligerents bellig-erents concerned, to foster this initiative, initia-tive, which, not 'because it proceeds from a nation which Is supposed to bo weak at the present time and therefore there-fore Incapable of an effective international interna-tional effort, is nevertheless worthy I of serious study and minute consideration. |