upon both Carranza and Huerta while, through John Lind, he attempted to induce Huerta to step down in favor of a Provisional President whom he himself would approve. Only after negotiating with Huerta for more than eight months did Wilson deign to turn to Carranza, although the latter was the recognized leader of all the Mexican elements then opposed to the "usurper."
On the day that John Lind departed from Mexico City, having received no reply to his final ultimatum to Huerta, another private ambassador of Wilson called on Carranza at Nogales. Still holding the screws on Carranza, Wilson, through William Bayard Hale, attempted to dictate terms to the First Chief of the Constitutionalist Party. Although secret diplomacy also shrouds the Hale proposals, the reports both from Nogales and Washington indicated that upon their acceptance depended the recognition of Carranza. Their character may be guessed from a statement given out by Carranza: "We will accept no transactions, nor the interference of any nation to regulate Mexico's interior conditions."
That was Carranza's final answer. The Hale interviews were broken off. The Washington atmosphere dropped abruptly. Carranza was not recognized. The embargo against him was not lifted.
Instead, an order was issued for his arrest, in case he should cross the American line, and shortly afterwards it became known that Wilson agents were grooming Villa.
From Nogales we go to Vera Cruz. We shot up that city, killed ten children, six women, and some two hundred men; we lost nineteen American boys. Why did we do it? Here is the President's explanation to Congress:
"I, therefore, felt it my duty. . . to insist that the flag of the United States should be saluted. . . . I, therefore, come to ask your approval that I should use the armed forces of the United States. . . to obtain from General Huerta. . . the fullest recognition of the rights and dignity of the United States. . . . We seek to maintain the dignity and authority of the United States." (Message of March 20, 1914.)
Now what terrible offense required that the flag be saluted? Here is the official report of the incident in full, as sent by
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