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Minister of Fomento (Promotion) in the Cabinet of Provisional President de la Barra. Minister of Gobernacion in the

Cabinet of his cousin, President Madero.

ways and to such an extent as may be necessary to obtain from General Huerta and his adherents the fullest recognition of the rights and dignity of the United States, even amid the distressing conditions now unhappily obtaining in Mexico."

The House, after a stormy session of four hours, passed the following resolution by a vote of 337 to 37:

"Resolved, By the Senate and House of Representatives, in Congress assembled, that the President of the United States of America is justified in the employment of armed forces of the United States to enforce the demands made upon Victoriano Huerta for unequivocal amends to the government of the United States for affronts and indignities committed against this government by General Huerta and his. representatives."

The Senate in a session that same night objected to the naming of one man as an enemy against whom the Army and Navy were to be used. The Tampico affair was called a pretext, in the course of the debate. Senator Henry Cabot Lodge proposed a resolution which recited the wrongs suffered by American individuals, in person and property. Debate was heated. The Senate adjourned over midnight; then reassembled and passed a substitute resolution. The House concurred. This is the text of the resolution as passed by both bodies:

"Resolved, By the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled that the President is justified in the employment of the armed forces of the United States to enforce his demand for unequivocal amends for certain affronts and indignities committed against the United States; be it further

"Resolved, That the United States disclaims any

hostility to the Mexican people or any purpose to make war upon Mexico."

In one respect the President's address was similar to that which he had made to Congress in August, 1913: it was notable for an omission. On the former occasion he had refrained from mentioning the financial offer which he had authorized John Lind to make to Mexico as a reason why Huerta should resign. The second address contained no reference to the true cause of haste in the despatching of the warships to the Mexican gulf ports. The urgency was due to information that a large shipment of munitions of war was on its way from a German port to Vera Cruz. The cargo included some thousands of rifles, a number of machine guns, and a large quantity of ammunition; and the receipt of these supplies by Huerta would greatly strengthen him against the Constitutionalists, and perhaps against the United States, should war result from the increasing complications. At the moment, however, this was a move against Huerta and in favor of the Constitutionalists who had been receiving all the arms for which they could pay.

On April 21, when the Senate and House agreed upon the resolution, the German ship Ypiranga, carrying the munitions of war, arrived at Vera Cruz. To prevent the cargo from reaching its intended destination a large body of American marines was landed at that port and the custom house was seized. The landing party was under orders not to fire unless fired upon, and to occupy only a small portion of the city in the immediate neighborhood of the custom house which is on the water front.

The marines met resistance of a scattering and irregular sort. The opposition gathered strength as the movement swept up the broad, open pier, and it presently became necessary for one of the smaller warships lying within easy

range to shell some of the positions of the enemy, including the naval academy building. Before actual possession of the custom house was secured, four American marines were killed and twenty wounded. The number of Mexicans killed was about two hundred.

Sniping" or isolated fire from concealment picked off Americans for the next two days. The entire city was occupied by the American forces on the 22nd, the Federal troops having retreated several miles to a point on the Mexican railway, a mile of which they tore up. In all, seventeen Americans were killed and sixty-two wounded. Sniping" being punishable by death according to usages of war, it was reported that forty Mexicans were summarily executed for this offense.

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Meanwhile the republic of Mexico was becoming an unfit place of residence for Americans, and in Monterrey violent demonstrations were being made. On April 21 a Huerta captain commanding a detachment of Federal troops, acting no doubt under orders, tore down and stamped upon every American flag in the city including that over the United States general consulate in which many Americans had taken refuge. That night the consulate was surrounded by Federal troops and the lives of its inmates were threatened.

On the following day, the United States Consul General, Philip C. Hanna, was taken before a military tribunal, charged with aiding Constitutionalist generals, and thrust into prison where he remained incommunicado until April 24, when the Constitutionalist army under Generals Villareal and Castro entered the city in triumph, the Federal forces evacuating the place. The conduct of the Constitutionalists after this victory, as reported by the grateful consul general, was a decided improvement over that which they had exhibited elsewhere.

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