the hispanic nations of the new world-第28节

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nted；　if　the　discussion　related　solely　to　the　immediate　issue　between　the　United　States　and　Huerta；　he　declined　to　extend　the　scope　of　the　conference　so　as　to　admit　the　right　of　the　United　States　to　interfere　in　the　internal　affairs　of　Mexico。　The　conference　accomplished　nothing　so　far　as　the　immediate　issue　was　concerned。　The　dictator　did　not　make　reparation　for　the　〃affronts　and　indignities〃　he　had　committed；　but　his　day　was　over。　The　advance　of　the　Constitutionalists　southward　compelled　him　in　July　to　abandon　the　capital　and　leave　the　country。　Four　months　later　the　American　forces　were　withdrawn　from　Vera　Cruz。　The　〃A　B　C〃　Conference；　however　barren　it　was　of　direct　results；　helped　to　allay　suspicions　of　the　United　States　in　Hispanic　America　and　brought　appreciably　nearer　a　〃concert　of　the　western　world。〃

While　far　from　exercising　full　control　throughout　Mexico；　the　〃first　chief〃　of　the　Constitutionalists　was　easily　the　dominant　figure　in　the　situation。　At　home　a　ranchman；　in　public　affairs　a　statesman　of　considerable　ability；　knowing　how　to　insist　and　yet　how　to　temporize；　Carranza　carried　on　a　struggle；　both　in　arms　and　in　diplomacy；　which　singled　him　out　as　a　remarkable　character。　Shrewdly　aware　of　the　advantageous　circumstances　afforded　him　by　the　war　in　Europe；　he　turned　them　to　account　with　a　degree　of　skill　that　blocked　every　attempt　at　defeat　or　compromise。　No　matter　how　serious　the　opposition　to　him　in　Mexico　itself；　how　menacing　the　attitude　of　the　United　States；　or　how　persuasive　the　conciliatory　disposition　of　Hispanic　American　nations；　he　clung　stubbornly　and　tenaciously　to　his　program。

Even　after　Huerta　had　been　eliminated；　Carranza's　position　was　not　assured；　for　Francisco；　or　〃Pancho；〃　Villa；　a　chieftain　whose　personal　qualities　resembled　those　of　the　fallen　dictator；　was　equally　determined　to　eliminate　him。　For　a　brief　moment；　indeed；　peace　reigned。　Under　an　alleged　agreement　between　them；　a　convention　of　Constitutionalist　officers　was　to　choose　a　provisional　President；　who　should　be　ineligible　as　a　candidate　for　the　permanent　presidency　at　the　regular　elections。　When　Carranza　assumed　both　of　these　positions；　Villa　declared　his　act　a　violation　of　their　understanding　and　insisted　upon　his　retirement。　Inasmuch　as　the　convention　was　dominated　by　Villa；　the　〃first　chief〃　decided　to　ignore　its　election　of　a　provisional　President。

The　struggle　between　the　Conventionalists　headed　by　Villa　and　the　Constitutionalists　under　Carranza　plunged　Mexico　into　worse　discord　and　misery　than　ever。　Indeed　it　became　a　sort　of　three…cornered　contest。　The　third　party　was　Emiliano　Zapata；　an　Indian　bandit；　nominally　a　supporter　of　Villa　but　actually　favorable　to　neither　of　the　rivals。　Operating　near　the　capital；　he　plundered　Conventionalists　and　Constitutionalists　with　equal　impartiality；　and　as　a　diversion　occasionally　occupied　the　city　itself。　These　circumstances　gave　force　to　the　saying　that　Mexico　was　a　〃land　where　peace　breaks　out　once　in　a　while！〃

Early　in　1915　Carranza　proceeded　to　issue　a　number　of　radical　decrees　that　exasperated　foreigners　almost　beyond　endurance。　Rather　than　resort　to　extreme　measures　again；　however；　the　United　States　invoked　the　cooperation　of　the　Hispanic　republics　and　proposed　a　conference　to　devise　some　solution　of　the　Mexican　problem。　To　give　the　proposed　conference　a　wider　representation；　it　invited　not　only　the　〃A　B　C〃　powers；　but　Bolivia；　Uruguay；　and　Guatemala　to　participate。　Meeting　at　Washington　in　August；　the　mediators　encountered　the　same　difficulty　which　had　confronted　their　predecessors　at　Niagara　Falls。　Though　the　other　chieftains　assented；　Carranza；　now　certain　of　success；　declined　to　heed　any　proposal　of　conciliation。　Characterizing　efforts　of　the　kind　as　an　unwarranted　interference　in　the　internal　affairs　of　a　sister　nation；　he　warned　the　Hispanic　republics　against　setting　up　so　dangerous　a　precedent。　In　reply　Argentina　stated　that　the　conference　obeyed　a　〃lofty　inspiration　of　Pan…American　solidarity；　and；　instead　of　finding　any　cause　for　alarm；　the　Mexican　people　should　see　in　it　a　proof　of　their　friendly　consideration　that　her　fate　evokes　in　us；　and　calls　forth　our　good　wishes　for　her　pacification　and　development。〃　However；　as　the　only　apparent　escape　from　more　watchful　waiting　or　from　armed　intervention　on　the　part　of　the　United　States；　in　October　the　seven　Governments　decided　to　accept　the　facts　as　they　stood；　and　accordingly　recognized　Carranza　as　the　de　facto　ruler　of　Mexico。

Enraged　at　this　favor　shown　to　his　rival；　Villa　determined　deliberately　to　provoke　American　intervention　by　a　murderous　raid　on　a　town　in　New　Mexico　in　March；　1916。　When　the　United　States　dispatched　an　expedition　to　avenge　the　outrage；　Carranza　protested　energetically　against　its　violation　of　Mexican　territory　and　demanded　its　withdrawal。　Several　clashes；　in　fact；　occurred　between　American　soldiers　and　Carranzistas。　Neither　the　expedition　itself；　however；　nor　diplomatic　efforts　to　find　some　method　of　cooperation　which　would　prevent　constant　trouble　along　the　frontier　served　any　useful　purpose；　since　Villa　apparently　could　not　be　captured　and　Carranza　refused　to　yield　to　diplomatic　persuasion。　Carranza　then　proposed　that　a　joint　commission　be　appointed　to　settle　these　vexed　questions。　Even　this　device　proved　wholly　unsatisfactory。　The　Mexicans　would　not　concede　the　right　of　the　United　States　to　send　an　armed　expedition　into　their　country　at　any　time；　and　the　Americans　refused　to　accept　limitations　on　the　kind　of　troops　that　they　might　employ　or　on　the　zone　of　their　operations。　In　January；　1917；　the　joint　commission　was　dissolved　and　the　American　soldiers　were　withdrawn。　Again　the　〃first　chief〃　had　won！

On　the　5th　of　February　a　convention　assembled　at　Queretaro　promulgated　a　constitution　embodying　substantially　all　of　the　radical　program　that　Carranza　had　anticipated　in　his　decrees。　Besides　providing　for　an　elaborate　improvement　in　the　condition　of　the　laboring　classes　and　for　such　a　division　of　great　estates　as　might　satisfy　their　particular　needs；　the　new　constitution　imposed　drastic　restrictions　upon　foreigners　and　religious　bodies。　Under　its　terms；　foreigners　could　not　acquire　industrial　concessions　unless　they　waived　their　treaty　rights　and　consented　to　regard　themselves　for　the　purpose　as　Mexican　citizens。　In　all　such　cases　preference　was　to　be　shown　Mexicans　over　foreigners。　Ecclesiastical　corporations　were　forbidden　to　own　real　property。　No　primary　school　and　no　charitable　institution　could　be　conducted　by　any　religious　mission　or　denomination；　and　religious　publications　must　refrain　from　commenting　on　public　affairs。　The　presidential　term　was　reduced　from　six　years　to　four；　reelection　was　prohibited；　and　the　office　of　Vice　President　was　abolished。

When；　on　the　1st　of　May；　Venustiano　Carranza　was　chosen　President；　Mexico　had　its　first　constitutional　executive　in　four　years。　After　a　cruel　and　obstinately　intolerant　struggle　that　had　occasioned　indescribable　suffering　from　disease　and　starvation；　as　well　as　the　usual　slaughter　and　destruction　incident　to　war；　the　country　began　to　enjoy　once　more　a　measure　of　peace。　Financial　exhaustion；　however；　had　to　be　overcome　before　recuperation　was　possible。　Industrial　progress　had　become　almost　paralyzed；　vast　quantities　of　depreciated　paper　money　had　to　be　withdrawn　from　circulation；　and　an　enormous　array　of　claims　for　the　loss　of　foreign　life　and　property　had　rolled　up。



CHAPTER　XI。　THE　REPUBLICS　OF　THE　CARIBBEAN

The　course　of　events　in　certain　of　the　republics　in　and　around　the　Caribbean　Sea　warned　the　Hispanic　nations　that　independence　was　a　relative　condition　and　that　it　might　vary　in　direct　ratio　with　nearness　to　the　United　States。　After　1906　this　powerful　northern　neighbor　showed　an　unmistakable　tendency　to　extend　its　influence　in　various　ways。　Here　fiscal　and　police　control　was　established；　there　official　recognition　was　withheld　from　a　President　who　had　secured　office　by　unconstitutional　methods。　Nonrecognition　promised　to　be　an　effective　way　of　maintaining　a　regime　of　law　and　order；　as　the　United　States　understood　those　terms。　Assurances　from　the　United　States　of　the　full　political　equality　of　all　republics；　big　or　little；　in　the　western　hemisphere　did　not　always　carry　conviction　to　Spanish　American　ears。　The　smaller　countries　in　and　around　the　Caribbean　Sea；　at　least；　seemed　likely　to　become　virtually　American　protectorates。

Like　their　Hispanic　neighbor　on　the　north；　the　little　republics　of　Central　America　were　also　scenes　of　political　disturbance。　None　of　them　except　Panama　escaped　revolutionary　uprisings；　though　the　loss　of　life　and　property　was　insignificant。　On　the　other　hand；　in　these　early　years　of　the　century　the　five　countries　north　of　Panama　made　substantial　progress　toward　federation。　As　a　South　American　writer　has　expressed　it；　their　previous　efforts　in　that　direction　〃amid　sumptuous　festivals；　banquets　and　other　solemn　public　acts〃　at　which　they　〃intoned　in　lyric　accents　daily　hymns　for　the　imperishable　reunion　of　the　isthmian　republics；〃　had　been　as　illusory　as　they　were　frequent。　Despite　the　mediation　of　the　United　States　and　Mexico　in　1906；　while　the　latter　was　still　ruled　by　Diaz；　the　struggle　in　which　Nicaragua；　Hon