State

June 10, 1933 T H Е STATE Page Three Uncle Joe Doing Nicely in Mexico By JOHN CONSTANTINE (Correspondent for the International News Service at Mexico City.) NORTH CAROLINIANS naturally arc interested in knowing how their fellow-citizen, Josephus Daniels, is getting along down in Mexico. Here's an article which deals with this subject. It was written exclusively for THE STATE by one of the newspaper cor¬ respondents in Mexico City. When Ambassador Josephus Daniels came to Mexico, n small group of pub¬ licity-seeking radicals undertook to pro¬ voke student demonstrations against him. averring he was persona non grata be¬ cause he had ordered the warships to Veracruz in 1914. These agitators had refrained from participating In the de¬ fense of Veracruz. The students paid no attention to them. lamenting the false position In which the students had been placed, especially in the United States, by the propaganda of the Communists. Manuel Estanol. Captain of the University of Mexico foot¬ ball team, gathered half a dozen of his fellow players and went to the American Embassy. "We have come." he said to Ambas¬ sador Daniels, "to invite you to visit the University. We wish you to know our Rec¬ tor. Don Roberto Medellin." The Ambassador hastened to accept. He regarded them benignly and they gave him a charming deference. This was his first contact with the youth of Mexico and he wns visibly Impressed. They were line upstanding types of young man¬ hood. Afterwards. Ambassador Daniels thought so highly of this visit that he sat down and wrote President Roosevelt about it Within 36 hours after his arrival in Mexico City he had definitely, favorably and diplomatically made a secure place for himself in the Mexican scene. He did this with one newspaper Interview. He was still train-weary when he re¬ ceived at the Embassy the representa¬ tives of the Mexican and the foreign press. He set forth the fundamental principles which should orient the re¬ lations between the United States and Mexico so clearly and explicitly that every Mexico City newspaper frontpaged Ambosscdor Josephus Daniels them. They followed this up by edi¬ torially lauding him and his criterion. Here is a paragraph from his re¬ marks which should find a place In any history of diplomatic relations between the United States and Latin America: "The principles of parity of sovereign¬ ties and of mutual respect between the two governments are so fundamental with the peoples of the United States and Mexico that every right-minded man makes them his own. The two countries have common destinies. They should re¬ spect each other’s territorial rights and seek to secure not only bettor under¬ standing. but the closest association.” This, instead of mawkish expressions of goodwill so typical of the “Intellectu¬ al" meddlers in relations with Mexico and the rest of Latin America, entirely met the Mexican criterion. It satisfied the Mexican conception of just and cor¬ rect relations. It eliminated any fears which might have been fell In some quarters that Ambassador Daniels had come to Mexico to swing the big stick. It was enduring doctrine, The truth is that when high officials of the Mexican Government learned from the American Embassy that President Roosevelt proposed to send former Sec¬ retary of Navy Josephus Daniels— his intimate friend— to Mexico as his Am¬ bassador. they experienced considerable satisfaction. Being practical politicians they realized immediately that Ambas¬ sador Daniels would make for them a close contact with President Roosevelt. This, they had lacked. They accordingly hastened to give the agreement— to noti¬ fy the American Embassy that Mr. Daniels wns persona grata. The com¬ munication from the American Embassy was sent to the Foreign Office, late one afternoon. A favorable reply was re¬ ceived at the Embassy before the next noon. For Ambassador Daniels, despite his long experience In Washington, the pres¬ entation of his credentials constituted an almost overpowering novelty. He then made his first acquaintance with I-atlrt American formalities, carried out. as they are. with rigid adherence to the protocol. Three squadrons of cavalry escorted the American Ambassador from the American Embassy to the National Pal¬ ace. Don Vicente Vcloz Gonzalez, the official Introducer of Ambassadors of the Ministry of Foreign Relations, accompa¬ nied him. Up a brilliant red-carpeted stairway, Ambassador Daniels proceeded to the Hall of Ambassadors, where Presi¬ dent Abelardo I.. Rodriguez, dressed in formal morning clothes, awaited him. A trifle ill at ease over all this eti¬ quette. the Ambassador approached the President, halted when about fifteen feet away, then began to read the letter ac¬ companying his credentials. He stressed his points vigorously. The President re¬ plied with a formal expression of his satisfaction. Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Pulg Casauranc then presented Amabassador Daniels. The three sat down for a chat. President Rodriguez spoke in English. Ambassador Daniels felt better. Before the Ambassador came to Mexico he thought his ignorance of Spanish would be a great handicap for him. He soon found that the majority of the of¬ ficials of the Government spoke English. They waived the protocol— the formali¬ ties — for him. This was especially true of President Rodriguez. Foreign Minis¬ ter Puig and Finance Minister Alberto J. Panl. With others who could not speak English, the Ambassador got along ad¬ mirably. talking through an Interpreter. He found he scored by speaking directly to the official, thereby establishing a friendly relation. He settled into the Mexican scene as though he had been born in it. He fol¬ lowed the fine old rule. "Be yourself." After his first call on Foreign Minister Puig Casauranc, the lntter told a story of Premier McDonald and the late Am-