The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo. FRIDAY, JULY 17, 1914. THE MEXICAN SITUATION.

Auckland Star, Volume XLV, Issue 169, 17 July 1914, Page 4

The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo.

FRIDAY, JULY 17, 1914. THE MEXICAN SITUATION.

For the cause that lacks assistance, For the wrong that needs resistant*, For the future in the distance*, _—f the good that we can it.

iA-t last, Trcßident .Huerta has resigned, and, his withdrawal leaves the way clear tor .some s irt of provisional settlem-ent that may ultimately bring peace to his

d'irdraetedi country. 'It has .been clear f..r a, toug-.tkue past, tilia*.nothing could save lluertj. 'but. a iki-i-ite military triumph over all ihis rival*. So far from achieving this., lie has. proved, himself unable to hold his ground against the

Constitutionalists, and there seems to ir? little dloubt now that, if left to themselves, the Mexicans would soon dispose of Huerta'ti .pretentions in their own

peremptory fashion. Tvven it" had -been -able to depend ou the unani-

mous support of his countrymen, it -would have 'been difficult for him to conciliate the American Clovcniment-

Apparently, for commercial reasons, Fi.glaml revognised Hu-erta aB President; and; commercial rivalry alone ■would have been enough to induce the United States- to repudiate him. But M'adeTo's) .murder, which is-usually attrilruted to Jlucrta, determined the American Government, to adopt a vigorous policy toward l (M-exico. and l having once committed himself. 'President Wilson ooultl- not have easily found an excuse for ack v. owl edging Uluerta with-

out serious damage to hits own reputation and! his country's prestige. But Hoerfca's oi)*?tinate refusal lo wifctulrnw proved a serious stumbling Ibl-ock. For President Wilson wan cxtremicJy anxious to avoid active intervention, and so long as Uu-erta maintained' his position, it did not appear that the remonptranjes andl protests of ihe American O-ovem-nient could effect much, oven when backed) by the recent naval demonstration at tiro chief ports of 'Mexico.

As a matter of (fact, it was by no means difficult for outsiders to describe (American intervention in such terms as to suggest that it waft a wanton act of aggression committed (by an ambitious Power, anxious 'for a plausible excuse to oppress and plunder a weaker State. This was apparently the view taken by the great majority of the Mexicans, and the position was most seriously complicated by the fact that the Constitutional. ists, the sworn enemies of 'Huerta, themselves expressed the bitterest animosity toward the (Americans. Under such cirimimstances the negotiations that have been dragging nn for months between .American and Mexican delegates could hardly he expected to produce much practical result; and since thp Constitutionalists definitely declared that they wottld refuse to submit to dictation from Waslington, the "conversations" -have subsided into a sort of diplomatic ''markin" time," with the diplomats waiting anxiously "for something to turn -up. Huerta put a Ibnbl face upon it to tbe end. but the recent election, by which, oi Course, he was again returned to power, seems to have, been the last resort that his ingenuity could suggest. Meantime, the Constitutionalists have Ix-en prosecuting their campaign rigorously, and 'Huerta's several successive defeats have left the way to the capital open to them. Talcing everything into account. Huerta has realised that hi* cause is lost, and he has at last accepted the inevitable... But little as b e may have desired to assist President Wilson, there can be no doubt that bis decision has come at a very opportune moment for the United States. His temporary successor is said to ibe ready to resign as soon as the Constitutionalists rea-dh (Mexico City, and as Carranza. will then presumably hold the long-promised general election under fair conditions, all

excuse for American intervention will

thus disappear. We must add. however, ihat this does not by any means imply that Mexico will at ou<v sUhside'inlo peace and tranquillity; -indeed, one of the most interesting features of the situation is the .probability that Carranza. -in. the name, of law and order, may now proceed to execute his threat

uf sh.uitiri}. everybody who -has acknowledged a President not truly elected by the whole Mexican people.