Favor Arming Of Rebels.

New York Times 100 years ago today, August 7, 1913:
Senators Ready for That Policy if Lind Mission Fails.
Special to The New York Times.
    WASHINGTON, Aug. 6.— The signed answers given by Provisional President Huerta to questions submitted to him in writing by The Times correspondent in Mexico City yesterday support strikingly forebodings entertained by many Senators of the probable futility of ex-Gov. John Lind's mission as President Wilson's confidential agent and adviser to the American Embassy in the Mexican capital. Gen. Huerta said that under no circumstances would he treat with the rebels, save at the point of the bayonet; that he would not consider retiring in favor of a neutral successor, and that above all he would brook no interference from the United States. It can be stated that a majority of the Senate feared just such a reception for Mr. Lind, and that it is only a respectful wish to give President Wilson time for a fair trial of his plan that prevents the prompt passage through the Senate of a resolution lifting the embargo on the shipment of arms to the rebels.
    The overwhelming feeling in the Senate is that the only hope of a permanent settlement of Mexican difficulties lies in the success in open war of the stronger faction. Before the President intimated that he had a more pacific and humane policy. Senators spoke even more openly than they now do of letting the factions fight it out on equal terms. But to-day it was stated on authority at first hand that this feeling had been only increased in the last few days. Action looking to the repeal of the neutrality law may be expected, it is said, as soon as an official hint is dropped that Mr. Lind's mission is not successful.

Wants Safety for Americans.
    A demand for an investigation of conditions in Mexico by the Committee on Foreign Relations was made in the Senate to-day by Senator Clarence D. Clark of Wyoming, ex-Chairman and ranking Republican member of the Committee on the Judiciary, in a resolution which he supported with a speech criticising the Administration's reticence on the Mexican situation. The Senator asked that the investigation be made with a view to guaranteeing protection to Americans in Mexico.
    In presenting his resolution Mr. Clark complained bitterly of the state of ignorance in which the committee had been kept by the Administration, not only as to questions of policy, but as to actual conditions in the South. The appointment of ex-Gov. John Lind as the President's confidential agent in Mexico, he said, would mean no increased protection for Americans in that country. The Senator asserted that citizens of the United States still were in danger daily of their lives in Mexico and their property rapidly was being destroyed.
    Ex-Gov. Lind's mission, said Mr. Clark, only could cause delay and put off the affirmative action that would be needed to solve the Mexican puzzle.

Seeks to Get the Facts.
    Mr. Clark's resolution would give the Committee on foreign Relations all customary inquisitorial powers, with directions that their findings of fact and recommendations of policy be reported to the Senate as early as possible. It is thought the resolution will come up tomorrow, when the Democrats probably will insist on its being referred to the committee. Mr. Clark, it is believed, will attempt to interrogate Chairman Bacon of the Foreign Relations Committee as to the reasons for the Administration's alleged secretiveness, but it is thought Mr. Bacon will not throw much light on the situation. Mr. Bacon was not in the Chamber when Mr. Clark spoke. After reading the resolution, he refused to comment on it.
    "I am aware of the criticism that usually meets the introduction of a resolution of this sort," said Mr. Clark. "I desire to say that it was offered in no spirit of hostility to the Administration, nor is it in any spirit of criticism of our Foreign Relations Committee.
    "It is, however, born of the necessity for the Senate of the United States to be informed in some degree, at least, of the conditions that confront us in Mexico, so that we may know something of the facts, and if the facts are found to be in accord with the general belief that some step may be taken to remedy, and that right quickly, intolerable conditions.
    Col. Hay gave the Committee on Foreign Relations a striking picture of conditions in Mexico. He bears six scars in proof of active service under Madero against Don Porfirio Diaz. Often this morning, as he recited the wrongs of his countrymen, Col. Hay wept. He insisted that the Constitutionalists, in opposing Gen. Huerta, were not pushing the cause of any individual. Gov. Carranza was their present leader, he said, but what they desired was the reinstitution of a constitutional Government that should permit the people to elect their own leaders.
    The committee, which evidently considered that it was listening to a rebuttal of the testimony given last week by Henry Lane Wilson. Ambassador to Mexico, whose resignation has been accepted, to take effect Oct. 1, was much impressed by Col. Hay's sincerity. What interested the members most, apparently, was the ex-Speaker's flat assertion that his party would listen to no proposal of mediation and would participate in no election so long as Gen. Huerta retained his power.
    "We will have nothing to do with a Huerta compromise," said Col. Hay, just before he entered the committee room. "We would no more treat with Gen. Huerta than one of your courts would treat with a fugitive murderer. And a murderer is what Huerta is."
    The Colonel made it plain that Huerta must retire before any sort of compromise would be possible.
    The one wish Col. Hay emphasized was that the embargo on the shipments of arms to Mexico be raised, and that the revolutionists be permitted to fight to the death on equal terms with Huerta.
    Col. Hay was optimistic in his predictions as to what would follow lifting the embargo, in ninety days, he told the committee, the Constitutionalists, with an army recruited to 100,000 determined men, would drive Huerta from Mexico. The Constitutionalists now, he said, controlled two-thirds of the country, while the third of Mexico, which he conceded to Huerta, was divided between the provisional President and the outlaw, Emiliano Zapata. Huerta's power did not reach beyond his bayonets, Col Hay remarked, and as a Federal army moved through the country, the revolutionary control closed in behind it.
    At present, he admitted, the Constitutionalists had great difficulty in maintaining armed forces. On account of the dangers of importing arms, three prices must be paid for them, and many sympathizers were kept from the ranks because of inability to get rifles and ammunition.
    The committee has no intention of using the information it has received from Ambassador Wilson, Colonel Hay and others as a basis for any affirmative course. Certain Senators favor armed intervention at once, though they admit that would mean nothing less than war. But even these extremists feel that the President should have time to accomplish what he can through Mr. Lind.

Hint That Lind Will Be Vigorous.
    A hint to-day that Mr. Lind was to pursue a vigorous course in urging on the Mexican Government the adoption of the plan for conciliation which President Wilson intrusted to him was not amplified by the official who gave it.
    It was inferred, however, from guarded remarks by Administration officers, that Mr. Lind had instructions to impress on all the persons with whom he should confer in Mexico that public sentiment in the United States was becoming aroused and there was danger that the sentiment would develop into a demand for action unless conditions were remedied.
    Comment has been caused by the fact that the Administration has shown no disposition to take any of the Republican leaders into its confidence with reference to Its endeavors to adjust conditions in Mexico. As far as can be ascertained President Wilson has not discussed his Mexican policy with any one other than Secretary Bryan, Chairman Bacon of the Committee on Foreign Relations, Chairman Flood of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and perhaps such members of the Cabinet as are in Washington.
    Senator Morris Sheppard of Texas placed in the Congressional Record today and had printed as a Senate document a large quantity of data regarding the principles, history, personnel, operations and strength of the Constitutionalists of Mexico. Senator Sheppard has pending a resolution seeking to place the Constitutionalists on the same footing as the Huerta Government in the matter of obtaining arms from this country.
    According to Mr. Sheppard's data, the Constitutionalists have between 60,000 and 80,000 men in the field. The names of the various commanders, with the number of men it is said each has, are set forth in the papers. The Constitutionalists profess in these statements to control three-fourths of the territory of Mexico, as follows:
    All Chihuahua, except Juarez and Chihuahua City.
    Sonora, except Guaymas.
    Coahuila, except Saltillo and Monclova.
    Nuevo Leon, except Monterey and Lampasas.
    Tamaulipas, except Laredo, Tampico, and Victoria.
    Sinaloa, except Culiacan and Mazatlan.
    Zacatecas, except Zacatecas City.
    San Luis Potosi, except part of the railroad to Tampico.
    Durango.
    To Huerta are conceded the States of Mexico, Hidalgo, Queretaro, and Puebla, and also the railroad from Mexico City to Vera Cruz.
    Otto Winter and Dario Sanchez. American citizens, who have been held as prisoners by the Federals in Mexico for several weeks, were liberated to-day and set on the international boundary, according to a dispatch from Consul Garrett at Nuevo Laredo.
    The State Department was advised to-day that previous dispatches in regard to the orders from the Federal Government to release McDonald and Biesel and their chauffeur, Herrall, who were held as prisoners in Chihuahua, had been confirmed fully and the men were free.