Jasper County Democrat, Volume 17, Number 4, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 April 1914 — HUERTA YIELDS; WILL FIRE SALUTE TO THE U. S. FLAG [ARTICLE]

HUERTA YIELDS; WILL FIRE SALUTE TO THE U. S. FLAG

Wilson Grants His Plea for American Shots. WAR CRISIS IS RELIEVED To Safeguard Interests, However, Part of Pfceet Will Remain at Tampico —Europe’s Hand is Seen In Dictator’s Surrender; New York, April 17. —The Herald says: “It will be impossible under navy regulations unearthed for the United States to return the salute demanded of President Huerta. Here is the text of a regulation adopted June 30, 1905: " ‘No salute shall be fired in honor of any nation, or of any official of any nation, not formally recognized by the government of the United States.’ ”

Washington, April 17. —President Wilson accepted a conditional offer made by President Huerta of Mexico to salute the American flag in reparation for the arrest of American naval sailors at Tampico. The condition was that the United States fire a salute to the Mexican flag in return as an acknowledgment of the Mexican apology. The offer and its acceptance relieved the tension between this government and the Huerta regime. When the salutes are fired at Tampico by the Mexican forts and the American warships the “Tampico incident” will be closed. There will be no recognition of the Huerta regime, however. The United States will continue to remain neutral as regards the Mexican federals and rebels, but.the American fleet in Mexican waters will be strengthened, although many of the warships ordered to Tampico and now on the way will be recalled.

Bryan Gets Night Reply. Secretary Bryan conveyed the Washington administration’s attitude to Charge O'Shaughnessy, who is in the City of Mexico, presumably for presentation to President Huerta. Dispatches came to the state department later from the Mexican capital, but the officials would not indicate whether they were from Mr. O'Shaughnessy. - In the day’s developments it appeared that Geipnany and France exerted pressure on General Huerta to induce hijri to comply with the American demand for a salute to the flag, working through their ambassadors in Washington ani the City of Mexico. The ceremonies of interchanging the national salute will be simple. The Mexicans will run up the Stars and Stripes on the mainmast of one of their gunboats, or, if the gunboats are not at Tampico, on the flagstaff of the fort. A salute of 21 guns will then be fired by a Mexican saluting battery. As the last shot booms the Stars and Stripes will be hauled down and at the mainmast of the United States dispatch boat Dolphin the national standard of Mexico will be broken out. The Dolphin’s saluting gun will then repeat the 21-gun salute of the Mexicans in. acknowledgment of the apology. During the ceremony the officers of both services will stand at attention. Mayo Pledged Return Salute., General Huerta's otl r to salute the flag and request for a return salute caused President Wilson to ask for an opinion from the counselor of the state department and navy department officials. All reported that it was the inevitable custom in naval practise to return a salute and < ited precedents. The president was that Rear Admiral .Mayo on making his original demand for a salute agreed to fire an acknowledgment. Mr. Wilson said the return of a salute under such circumstances did not involve recognition of the Huerta government, but was merely an act of the same characttr as grasping the hand , of an individual who was apologizing as he extended it. Secretary Bryan also took the view that the American salute would be given to the flag of the Mexican nation, just as much respected by the constitutionalists as the Huerta government, and that no technical recognition was involved. Precedent for Return Salute.

As one precedent for returning a salute the state department turned to the case of the French consul at San Francisco, who was taken before a local court in 1854 in violation of a treaty. Francte demanded a salute and an apology. > A compromise was reached by which a French fleet was sent to San Francisco, and the French colors were saluted by the American shore battery. The salute was then returned by the French flagship and the incident was closed. While the president declared the firing of the salute would close the Tamj)ico incident, it will have no particular bearing on the general Mexican policy of the administration. Other offenses, such as the arrest of a mail orderly at Vera Cruz, have been apologized for and the United Statete will continue its position of neutrality as between the two factions contending for the mili-

tary supremacy of the southern republic. Incidentally, the president, as well as Mr. Bryan, in conversations on the situation generally, drew attention to official reports they had received praising General Villa and the constitutionalists for their treatment of prisoners and foreigners in the bloody battle at Torreon. Not a foreigner was injured, said official reports from witnesses. Congress Approves Plans. Huerta’s offer was received in congress generally with approval, and members familiar wjlh international precedents agreed that a return salute from American guns could not be regarded as recognition of the Huerta regime or in any wise as beneath the dignity of the United States. Senator Lodge, ranking Republican member of the foreign relations committee, who had said early in the day that to return the salute would nullify the effect of the apology, withdrew his criticism after a telephone conversation with Secretary Bryan. The Massachusetts senator was informed that naval officers and those familiar with precedents knew of no case where a salute was not returned and that, moreover, the statement that the salute would be returned was included in Rear Admiral Mayo's original demand.

Mr. Lodge then said he had been mistaken, and expressed the hope that the custom in such eases would be made clear to the country. Shively Favors Return Salute. M hen Senator Shively, acting chairman of the foreign relations committee, visited the White House he learned from Secretary Bryan of the proposal from General Huerta to yield to the American government. The Indiana senator, who had carefully studied all the possibilities in the situation. was quick to agree that the United States government could not refrain>from answering the .Mexican apologetic guns When besieged by senators at the capitol later, Mr. Shively assured them that a return salute was in accordance with international custom. Sortie Senators Warlike. During the executive session the senators discussed the Huerta position informally, and it was agreed that the United States should not quibble over returning the salute, but some senators were inclined to the view that the advance request from Huerta for a return of the salute should be ignored .Discussing the probability of allowing some of the ships now en route to Mexican waters to proceed regardness of the acceptance of Huerta’s offer, many members of congress expressed the opinion that the administration proposed to keep a firmer hand on the situation in the future and that further reasons for vigorous action might develop at any time. Americans Are Safeguarded. It appeared, however, that within less than forty-eight hours after Pres ident Wilson ordered the Atlantic and Pacific fleets to Mexican waters and informed General Huerta that unless a salute was fired to atone for repeated offenses against the dignity of the United States there would be serious consequences, the future safety of American interests in Mexico was assured. As the storm clouds lifted and a wave of satisfaction spread through official headquarters. President Wilson arranged to go to White Sulphur Springs, W. Va., for the week-end and Secretary Bryan, who is ill, planned to take his long delayed trip to Miami, Fla.

Relax on Ousting Huerta. For the present at least the administration has no intention of taking any further drastic measures to force Huerta to resign as president of Mexico. It is admitted generally that, even if Huerta does order the firing of the salute demanded by the United States, the general situation in Mexi ’.co will not be improved. According ■ to recent reports to the state, department conditions in Mexico are still bad, both from an economic and a social point of view. The constitutionalist troops under General Villa have made further captures and are steadily advancing southward, and if not checked will soon be within striking distance of Mexico City.