THE CONSTITUTIONALISTS IN PARIS
Although the diplomatic and financial battle for great loans of the
Huerta régime was waged and lost in the United States, as a result of
the attitude of the Wilson administration, Huerta was nevertheless
enabled to make a loan in Wall Street, ostensibly to pay the interest
on the Railroad Merger. The real battle for financial assistance,
however, was fought in Paris.
The Parisian bankers were always favorably inclined to the existing
governments of Mexico. Diaz had always been considered financially
solvent, with Limantour at his side.
The French and English bankers, who had made fortunes on Mexican loans,
always spoke with regret and almost pique at the overthrow of “the
grand old man.” Foreign bankers not being by nature sentimental or
radical, had no sympathy or understanding for the tremendous popular
upheaval in Mexico. The whole great libertarian movement was quite
misunderstood or ignored. The Huerta régime seemed like a reversion
to the good old fat times under Limantour. Huerta exhibited all the
ear-marks of the strong man on horseback. To the superficial bankers,
the Mexican Caracalla was bound to stay and ask for more loans, and
offer more profits.
In London, the press did not pay much attention to the
Constitutionalists, as the English oil interests saw to it that stories
were circulated about the bandits, cut-throats and robbers who were
infesting Mexico under the excuse of fighting against the _de facto_
government.
As the English oil interests were closely connected with the English
government, they having signed a contract to supply the British
navy with oil, Huerta gladly gave all the concessions asked for,
and confirmed the previous ones. Although the English oil interests
denied in the press that they were involved in politics, certain facts
came to the notice of the Constitutionalists in Paris, which proved
the contrary. Dr. Atl, who was living in Paris, vouches for the data
furnished.
Dr. Atl had been very friendly to Dr. Urrutia years ago, as the
famous surgeon politician had saved his life. While Dr. Atl was in
the hospital, he became intimate with General Huerta, and being a
“compadre” to Dr. Urrutia, there were no secrets between them. After
the assassination of Madero and Suarez, Dr. Urrutia bethought himself
of the friendship and gratitude of his friend, and without much ado
telegraphed Dr. Atl that one hundred and fifty thousand dollars were
at his disposal at the Mexican legation in Paris: he was to use it to
influence the French press. Although Dr. Atl was broke, as befits a
sincere artist, he sent an answer which is not fit for publication, but
which does credit to his patriotism and his integrity.
Dr. Atl discovered that in spite of the fact that he was considered
almost a confrère among the French journalists, owing to the fact
that he published an art paper in French, and wrote for most literary
magazines and papers in Paris,--when it came to offering material on
the subject of the Constitutionalist cause of Mexico, the pages of the
periodicals were without exception closed to him. Finally reporters
admitted to him that the English oil interests had been paying enormous
sums of money, aggregating the sum of seven million francs. He was even
pointed out an agent of the same oil interests, who had left to the
editor of the paper the sum of one hundred and fifty thousand francs as
a friendly reminder.
After the refusal of Dr. Atl to work for the Huerta régime, a brother
of de la Barra took up the task. Not a word could slip into the French
papers about the defeats of the Federals, and strenuous efforts were
being made to finance a loan of one hundred and fifty million dollars
for Huerta. Dr. Atl had heard that the loan would be effected within a
week. In despair he walked from one office to the other and succeeded
only in getting snubs and rebuffs. To make matters worse, it rained
cats and dogs. Our peripatetic artist, soaking wet, tired and hungry,
not having eaten a morsel of food for two days, was on the point of
giving up the struggle, when he decided to try the only newspaper in
Paris which was above venality, the socialist paper, _L’Humanité_. He
presented himself at the office, and insisted on speaking to Monsieur
Jaurès, who was the editor. The veteran socialist finally consented
to see him. “I am not representing any financial interests,” spoke
up Dr. Atl, “I am only a poor Mexican artist, who expects you to
tell the truth about a matter of interest, not only to Mexico, but
especially to French investors. Huerta is expected to wind up a loan
of 750 million francs; I want to inform you that Carranza, Chief of
the Constitutionalists, has communicated a letter to the press in
the United States, and to us, that if the revolution is successful,
the French loan to Huerta will not be recognized by the successful
Constitutionalists. As I know that you are honest and do not want to
see the French investors risk losing their money, I beg of you to
publish the statement made by Carranza.”
Jaurès published the letter the next day. Mexican bonds went down ten
points, and the loan fell through. Dr. Atl is now Director of the
National Art School in Mexico City.