Time For Us To Act In Mexican Crisis.

New York Times 100 years ago today, July 16, 1913:
Foreign Power Gives That Hint in Urgent Inquiry to the State Department.
CABINET DISCUSSES POLICY
President and Secretary Bryan Believed to be Firm Against Action Before an Election.
Special to The New York Times.
    WASHINGTON, July 15.— The situation in Mexico has assumed a very serious turn on the eve of Secretary Bryan's departure on his lecture tour, and there is a strong prospect that the long-expected crisis in the relations of the American and Mexican Governments is at hand. Matters apparently have been brought to a head through inquiries from one of the great powers, indicating that, in the opinion of that power at least, it is high time the United States Government made a statement of its intentions with regard to Mexico or took steps to restore order in that perturbed country. Just what power has taken this forward step has not been disclosed, nor is it admitted officially in the State Department that any communication of the character mentioned has come to this Government. But from other sources the information is obtained that the question of the American attitude has been raised by one of the powers, and that the inquiry is under consideration. The most that was admitted in an official way here was that the Mexican situation was discussed at the regular meeting of the Cabinet to-day.
    For a long time it had been known in Washington that some of the European nations concerned for the safety of their citizens and subjects and the property interests of those persons in Mexico had been dissatisfied with the hands-off policy of this Government. Some of them have been deterred, however, from making any attempt to induce the United States to adopt a more radical policy in dealing with the Mexican situation. Their attitude was that as the United States was more directly concerned than any other government, it might not be regarded as courteous for a nation not of the Western Hemisphere to make proposals or ask questions that would suggest the idea that the course of the American Government was not satisfactory.

Awaiting America's Lead.
    Several of the European nations have been eager to recognize the Provisional Government of President Huerta, but have refrained from doing so until the United States should take the initiative in that direction. Great Britain, Japan, Brazil, and China have given recognition to the Huerta Government.
    Whether the action of the European power in making representations in the form of inquiries as to the position which the United States intended to assume toward Mexico was the outcome of an understanding of a group of nations has not been ascertained, but there is a strong suspicion here, based on other circumstances, that the nation that has made inquiry did not proceed without consulting several of the other foreign Governments interested. One of these circumstances is that the action of the inquiring Government was said to have been known generally among the Foreign Chancelleries and communicated by them to their diplomatic representatives in this country.
    Officials of this Government declined to take seriously, however, the suggestion that the Mexican situation has assumed a critical turn that calls for a more vigorous policy on the part of the United States. There is good reason to believe that President Wilson shares this view and that he has no intention of abandoning the policy of waiting until after the constitutional election in October before giving recognition to the Government that may be placed in power through that means.
    Pressure on the President and the Secretary of State to show a firmer hand in dealing with the Mexican situation has increased lately to a marked degree. They have stood firm, however, taking the position that the United States Government had no right to interfere between the contending factions and that its duty was fulfilled in seeking to protect the interests of American citizens through diplomatic means.

Washington Attitude Criticised.
    This is what in diplomacy is termed a correct attitude, but its correctness is not approved entirely by certain American citizens who have property interests in Mexican territory. Many of those thus directly concerned have sent protests to the State Department, and some of them have had their grievance taken to the attention of President Wilson and Secretary Bryan through delegations or Senators and Representatives from their States.
    A delegation of Americans having large property interests in Mexico came to Washington recently, and laid complaints before the Secretary of State. The visitors asked that the United States take some more definite action in regard to present conditions in Mexico, or at least give them a clearer idea than they had of what was the policy of the present Administration. The members of the delegation were indignant over the treatment they said that they had received from Mr. Bryan.
    At that time, Mr. Bryan indicated clearly that there was no intention on the part of the Wilson Administration to change the policy it was pursuing. Since then, it has been shown that President Wilson would not tolerate the suggestion of intervention, and that he apparently was firm in his intention to let matters remain as they were until a new Mexican Government should be chosen by constitutional means.
    A large part of the United States Army stationed in the United States is within striking distance of the Mexican border. The entire Second Division, under command of Major-Gen. W. H. Carter, was mobilized at Texas City, near Galveston, by President Taft last February, and has been kept there by President Wilson. This division embraces the Sixth Cavalry, Fourth Field Artillery, and the Fourth, Seventh, Eleventh, Eighteenth, Nineteenth. Twenty-second, Twenty-third, Twenty-sixth, Twenty-seventh, and Twenty-eighth Regiments of Infantry.

Regiments Right on the Line.
    In addition there are six regiments of cavalry on patrol duty along the international boundary from Laredo, Texas, westward to Douglass, Ariz., a distance, including the detour of the Great Bend of the Rio Grande, of over 700 miles. The regiments engaged along the boundary are the Second, Third, Fifth, Ninth, Thirteenth, and Fourteenth Cavalry. Battery C of the Sixth Field Artillery is stationed at Fort Bliss, near El Paso.
    In Fort Sam Houston and other posts in one to two days' travel from the boundary are several regiments of cavalry and infantry and several batteries of artillery. In all, there are on the boundary or in easy marching distance of it 25,000 regulars in all arms of the service.
    At Vera Cruz and Tampico are the battleships Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire and South Carolina, their complements of bluejackets and marines making over 3,000 men.
    On the Pacific Coast the cruisers California and Pittsburg and the supply ship Glacier are at Guaymas. Their presence is distinctly for the protection and relief of Americans in that region.