Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 210, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 September 1916 — TRUE INWARDNESS OF THE VERA CRUZ INCIDENT. [ARTICLE]

TRUE INWARDNESS OF THE VERA CRUZ INCIDENT.

In the spring of 1914, occurred the capture of Vera Cruz. Men from one of our ships had been arrested at Taipplco and had been discharged with an apology. But our admiral demanded a salute, which was refused. Thereupon the president went to congress, asking authority to use the armed forces of the United States. Without waiting for the passage of the resolution, Vera Cruz was seized. It appeared that a shipload of ammunition for Huerta was about to enter that port. There was a natural opposition to this invasion and a battle occurred in which nineteen Americans and over a hundred Mexicans were * killed. This, of course, was war. Our dead soldiers were praised for dying like heroes in a war of service. Later, we retired from Vera Cruz, giving up this noble warfare. We had not obtained the salute which was demanded. We had not obtained reparation for affronts. The ship with ammunition which could not land at Vera Cruz had soon landed at another port, and its cargo was delivered to Huerta without interference. Recently the naked truth was admitted by a cabinet officer. We are now informed that “we did not go to Vera Cruz tq force Huerta to salute the flag.” We are told.that we went there “to show Mexico that we were in earnest in our demand that Huerta must go.” That is, we seized Vera .Cruz to depose Huerta. The question of the salute was a mere pretext.— From Mr. Hughes’ Speech of Acceptance. k 2 C