Huerta Has Been A Loyal Soldier

New York Times 100 years ago today, February 19, 1913:
Hitherto He Has Always Fought on the Side of the Party in Office.
FAITHFUL TO PORFIRIO DIAZ
Supported de la Barra and Madero in Turn — His Ambition Suspected Months Ago.
    Victoriano Huerto has always appeared to the American onlookers in the Mexican situation as a rather unusual type of Mexican General. Many an American, sticking close to his investments in that troubled region, has felt a distinct disinclination to talk Mexican politics with the leading natives, because it would be impossible to guess at the real sympathies of the leader addressed. But Huerta, throughout the recent uprisings, has always been considered a shining example of loyalty to the Administration. He was one of the men who stuck to Diaz to the bitter end, not so much because he was devoted to the President, but because he was a Federal General, an officer of the Government; and so long as Porfirio Diaz was the Government, just so long Victoriano Huerta fought for Diaz. The moment that Diaz resigned and de la Barra became Provisional President of Mexico, Huerta began to fight for de la Barra.
    "When Madero was elected President of the republic Huerta became a fighter for Madero, although he had been one of the stubbornest fighters against him so long as Madero was a rebel. Huerta has always been considered orthodox, and because of his very considerable ability as a General he became Madero's right-hand man in military matters.
    That is how it happened that when Madero began to experience the excitement of being rebelled against, instead of doing most of the rebelling himself, it was Huerta who, as General, was sent out to obliterate his enemies. The chief command, however, was not granted to him until Gonzales Salas, in charge of the Federal forces at first, committed suicide after the defeat of the Federals at Corralitos, near Jiminez, in March of last year. After the suicide of Salas. Huerta, who had formerly been m command of the Federal forces in Morelos, took charge of the campaign to subdue Orozco, and spoke of that rebellious critic of the Madero regime with as much fine scorn as he had once been wont to heap upon the head of Madero himself.
    The news that Huerta had decided to succeed Madero could not shock the already jangled nerves of those who were sensitive because of their heavy investments in Mexico. Americans in the comparatively pale coast towns of Tampico and Vera Cruz have brought back word that at least ten claimants to the Presidency were to be found in the field in various disguises of loyalty to Madero and the Federal cause. Each of these has done some plotting and entered into secret deals with different foreigners resident in Mexico, making vast promises of Federal patronage and concessions in return for a little immediate material assistance. Many a frantic appeal for prompt intervention by the Government at Washington has been interpreted as inspired by a fear that some such investment was about to fail dismally.
    So to the canniest of Mexican observers it has seemed highly probable that at any moment some comparatively inconspicuous General would step forward and call himself the successor to Madero. Even Huerta, with all his reputation for sobriety m the midst of revolution, has not been above suspicion, and it was not very long ago that there was an open prediction that he was scheming to unseat his chief.
    This prediction was made last September, when an unusually savage outbreak of anti-Maderist sentiment had enlivened Mexico City, where the citizens paraded the streets with uproarious "vivas" for the banished Diaz. On that same day, Sept. 14, The Times received an illuminating dispatch from that observation outpost of Mexican affairs. El Paso, Texas.
    "Rumor is persistent that Mexico is on the brink of another revolt against the organized Government," the dispatch said, "and that this time it will come from within, from the Federal Army. Gen. Huerta is determined to be the military dictator and even military President of Mexico. He has expressed himself to his followers to this effect. Unless he is taken care of there will be a new revolution, for he is the acknowledged leader in the new movement to restore the military power to the control of Mexican affairs."
    This predicted overturn of the Maderist Administration was scheduled for Sept. 16, the Mexican Independence Day, in celebration of the release from the ancient domination of Spain. Queries were rushed to Huerta as to his attitude in the matter, and his reply was indignantly haughty:
    "I am not Orozco," he said, with a fine show of contempt for the man who had revolted against Madero. "I vouch for the loyalty of the army. We will hold a celebration in Juarez on the national holiday, but it will be merely one of patriotism and nothing more. I am a soldier and nothing more."
    The news of Huerta's ascendency aroused the greatest interest among New Yorkers who have Mexican interests and who have recently returned to this city from the vicinity of the trouble. Edwin M. MacPherson, who is directing large engineering schemes in Mexico, received the news at the Hotel Vanderbilt.
    "Gen. Huerta is one of the higher-class Mexicans, a man of the de la Barra type," he said. "He is a man of large means, a member of the Mexican gentry who has large ranch lands and many cattle. He does a very considerable export business to the United States, shipping to the Swift and Armour people. So Americans know him and know him very favorably. Almost all foreigners who are guarding their investments in Mexico would feel a considerable degree of confidence in Gen. Huerta and would welcome his control of affairs."
    Victoriano Huerta was born in the State of Chihuahua some fifty-six years ago, and as a lad of 17 went to Mexico City, and entered the military school at Chapultepec. Immediately after his graduation from that institution he entered the active service, and by successive promotions reached the generalship he held at the time of the Maderist uprising against Diaz. Huerta was called into consultation by the elder Diaz after the capture of Juarez, and counseled against resignation. He wanted 3,000 men, and with that force, promised to retake the city, but the opportunity was not granted to him and, with the resignation of his chief, he was recalled to Mexico City. He headed the escort that attended the exiled Diaz as far as Vera Cruz, and it was Diaz's parting injunction that Huerta should support the administration.
    A rumor of a break in the outwardly friendly relations between Madero and Huerta came only a few days ago, when one of Madero's brothers openly criticized Huerta's handling of the federal forces against the rebel Orozco. Men who knew Huerta guessed how furious that would make him, and were inclined last evening to suspect that it had played some part in yesterday's events.