OCR Text |
Show EBiMnMMMIMMaimiMtanMSHaMnOTMtMMMMi FRIENDSHIP FOR PEOPLEJF MEXICO PRESIDENT WILSON EXPRESSES HOPE THAT CONTROVERSY BE PEACEFULLY SETTLED. ( In Message to Congress, President Wilson Says 'Our Feeling For People Peo-ple of Mexico Is One of Deep and Genuine Friendship." Washington. Piosidcnt WIlBon on Monday laid tho Mexican situation before congress in theso wonta; Gentlemen of tho Congress: It Is my duty to call your attention to u sltuutlon which huB arisen ln our dealings with Gen. VIctorlnno Huortn nt Mexico City which calls for action, ac-tion, and to nsk your ndvlco and cooperation co-operation In uctlng on It. On tho 9th of April a paymaster of tho U S. R Dolphin landed at tho Iturbldo landing land-ing at Tamplco with a whaleboat nnd boat'B crew to take off cortaln supplies needed by his ship, and while engaged in loading the boat wus arrested ar-rested by an ofllcor and squad of men of tho army of General Huerta. Neither tho paymaster nor anyone of tho boat's crew was armed. Two of the men woro in the boat when tho arrest took plnco and woro obliged1 to leave it and submit to bo tnkenl Into custody, notwithstanding the fact that tho boat carried, both at her bow nnd at her stern, tho flag of tho Unit-, ed states. Tho officer who made the1 arrest was proceeding up one of thol streets of tho town with his prisoners' when met by an ofllcor of higher au-l thorlty, who ordered him to return to' the landing and await orders, and within an hour nnd a half from the time of tho arrest orders were received re-ceived from tho commnndor of tho liuertlsta forces at Tamplco for the release of tho paymaster and his men. Huerta's Apology Unsatisfactory. Tho roleaso was followed by apologies apol-ogies from tho commander nnd later by an expression of regret by General Huerta himself. General Huerta urged that martial law obtained at tho time at Tamplco, that orders had been' Issued that no one should bo allowed al-lowed to land nt tho Iturbldo bridge and that our sailors had no right to land there. Our naval commnnderi at tho port had not been notified of any such prohibition nnd, oven if they had been, tho only justifiable courso open to the local authorities 'would havo been' to request the paymaster and ids crow to withdraw and tolonlgo a protest with tho commanding office of tho fleet. Admiral Mayo5regardod tho arrest nu so serious am affront (hat lje wn not satisrtcd. lth the 'apologies "dlfevcU, 1rtit demanded that tho Hag of tho United State,s be saluted sa-luted with special ceremony 5y the military commander of tho' port. Several Affronts Given United States. Tho incident cannot bo regarded as u trivial one, especially as two of tho men arrested wero taken from tho territory of tho United States; but had it stood by itself It might havo been attributed to the ignorance or nrroganco of a single ofllcor. Unfortunately Unfor-tunately it wns not an isolated case A series of incidents have recently occurred oc-curred which cannot but cronto tho Impression that tho representatives of General Huerta woro willing to go out of thoir way to show disregard for tho dignity and rights of this government govern-ment and folt perfectly safe In doing what thoy pleased, making freo to show in many wuyB thoir Irritation and contempt. A fow days after the Incident at Tamplco an orderly from tho United States ship Minnesota wus arrested at Vera Cru. while ushoro in uniform to obtain the ship's mall und wub for a tlmo thrown Into jail. An official dispatch from this government govern-ment to Its cmbussy at Mexico City was withhold by tho authority of the telegraphic borvlco until peremptorily demanded by our charge d'affaires In person. So far as I can learn such wrongs and annoynnces hnvo boon suffered only to occur ngnlnst representatives repre-sentatives of tho United Stntes. I havo hoard of no complaints from other governments of similar treatment. treat-ment. Subsequent explanations nnd formal apologies did not nnd could,not alter tho popular Impression, which it is possible it hud been tho object, of tho liuertlsta authorities to create, that thn government of tho United States was being singled out and might bo singled out with Impunity for slights nnd affronts in retaliation for its refusal to recognise tho pre tenbts of General Huerta to bo regarded re-garded as tho constitutional provisional pro-visional president of tho republic of Movlfn. Situation Fraught Vlth Danger. Tho manifest danger of such u situation sit-uation wns that such nffouses might grow from had to worso until something some-thing happened of so gross nnd intolerable in-tolerable u sort as to lead directly j and inevitably to armed conflict. It wns necessary that tho apologies of Goueral Huerta and his representn tives should go much further, tlmit thoy should bo such as to attract thu attention of tho whole population to thoir significance nnd such as to impress im-press on General Huerta himself tho necessity of Booing to It that no further fur-ther occasion for explanations and professed regrets should arise. I, therefore, felt it my duty to sustalu i Admlrnl Mayo in tho whole of his do- mand und to insist that thu flag ol tho United Sttncs should bo saluted In such a way as to indicate a new spirit and attitude on the part of the liuertlstas. Such a salute General Huerta hap refused and I havo come to usk your approval and support in tho course 1 now propose to pursue " 'Huerta Usurper of Power. This government can, I earnestly hope, in no circumstances, bo forced into war with tho people of Moxico Mexico is torn by clyll strife. If we ." aro to nceept tho tests of Ub own wry, . stltution it has no government. Gen- oral Huerta. has sot his power up In the City of Mexico, such us it is, i without right and by methods for which there can bo no justification ' Only part of tho country is under his control. If armed conflict should un huppily come as n result of his attitude atti-tude of personal resentment townrdt this government we snou!d bo fighting , ' only General Huerta and those who adhere to hint nnd give him thoir support sup-port nnd our object would be only to restoro to tho peoplo of tho dlstraclf-d republic thu opportunity to sot up again thoir own laws and their own government. J But I earnestly hope that wnr is not now in question. I hcltovo that I speak for tho Anioricnn peoplo when I I say thnt wo do not desire to control I In any degree the affairs of our sister republic. Our feeling for tho people V of Mexico is one of deep und genuine friendship nnd everything that we havo so far done or refrained from doing has proceeded from our deslte to h"lp thorn, not to hinder or ombar- russ them. 'We would not wish even to oxerciso tho good offices of friend-1 friend-1 ship without their welcomo und con. sent. The peoplo of Mexico aro untitled un-titled to settle their own domestic affairs In their, own way and wu sincerely sin-cerely jilesiro to respect thoir right. Tho present situation need have none of tho grave complications of Interference Inter-ference If wo deal with it promptly, . Ilrmly und wisely. Seeka Co-operation of Congress. No doubt I could do what Is necessary neces-sary In tho circumstances to enforce respoct for our government without recourse to tho congress und yot not exceed my constitutional powers as president, but I do not wish to net In a mutter personally of so gravo consequences con-sequences except in closo conference nnd co operation with both tho senate and tho houso. I, therefore, come to nsk your npprovul that l should uho tho armed forces of the United States In such ways nnd to such an extent as mny bo necossary to obtain from General Huerta and his ndhoronts the fullest recognition of tho rights nnd I dignity of the United Stntes oven" amidst tho distressing conditions now I unhappily obtaining in Moxico. There can, in what wo do, bo no thought of nggresslon or of selfish ug-I ug-I grandlzomont Wo seek to maintain I tho dignity nnd nuthorlty of tho Unit- . i ed Stntes only becnuso wo wIbIi always al-ways to keep our great Influonco unimpaired un-impaired for tho uses of liberty, both In tho United States and wherever else it may be employed, for tho benefit bene-fit of mankind. |