Page:Hands off Mexico.djvu/60

 Mexico City which the great powers of the world can recognize and deal with"; asserting that if the "leaders of faction" did not promptly unite and act for this purpose, "this government will be constrained to decide what means should be employed by the United States in order to help Mexico save herself and serve her people."

Following this, the President put forward what was known as his "Pan-American scheme." Six Latin-American diplomats at Washington were induced to append their names, with that of Secretary Lansing, to an "appeal to Generals, Governors, and other Mexican leaders," inviting them, in effect, to repudiate the political organizations to which they belonged, to repair individually to a given spot, and there agree upon a new provisional Government.

Villa had been decisively beaten and his splendid army was in fragments, never to be brought together again. Zapata's zone of operations was always limited. The only organization of national scope remaining in the field was the one headed by Carranza. Under these circumstances, Wilson's "Pan-American scheme" was viewed, both in Mexico and in the United States—and by the American press—as a last desperate maneuver to eliminate Carranza, break up the Constitutionalist Party, and set up a conservative government under the tutelage of Wilson.

The Administration plan, as exploited in the press at the time, was to cause the selection of Vasquez Tagle for provisional President, with the understanding that Iturbide would be subsequently "elected" President. Vasquez Tagle was a Cientifico. He had been a member of the Madero cabinet, the only member who had not resigned after the treason of Huerta. Upon this fact was based an ingenious argument, widely exploited in the press, intended to show that Tagle was logically and legally the man to succeed to the Provisional Presidency. Iturbide was represented as having been entertained by members of the Wilson cabinet and as being the first choice of the Administration for the Presidency of Mexico.

The President's Pan-American scheme failed only because every Governor and every General politely replied, referring his proposals to Carranza, each refusing to be drawn from his allegiance. Although the deliberations of the Pan-American diplomats were secret, it was reported that the six Latin-American Governments unanimously insisted that the only proper