dangerous a
precedent. In reply Argentina stated that the conference obeyed a "lofty
inspiration of Pan-American solidarity, and, instead of finding any
cause for alarm, the Mexican people should see in it a proof of their
friendly consideration that her fate evokes in us, and calls forth our
good wishes for her pacification and development." However, as the only
apparent escape from more watchful waiting or from armed intervention on
the part of the United States, in October the seven Governments decided
to accept the facts as they stood, and accordingly recognized Carranza
as the de facto ruler of Mexico.

Enraged at this favor shown to his rival, Villa determined deliberately
to provoke American intervention by a murderous raid on a town in New
Mexico in March, 1916. When the United States dispatched an expedition
to avenge the outrage, Carranza protested energetically against its
violation of Mexican territory and demanded its withdrawal. Several
clashes, in fact, occurred between American soldiers and Carranzistas.
Neither the expedition itself, however, nor diplomatic efforts to find
some method of cooperation which would prevent constant trouble along
the frontier served any useful purpose, since Villa apparently could
not be captured and Carranza refused to yield to diplomatic persuasion.
Carranza then proposed that a joint commission be appointed to settle
these vexed questions. Even this device proved wholly unsatisfactory.
The Mexicans would not concede the right of the United States to send
an armed expedition into their country at any time, and the Americans
refused to accept limitations on the kind of troops that they might
employ or on the zone of their operations. In January, 1917, the joint
commission was dissolved and the American soldiers were withdrawn. Again
the "first chief" had won!

On the 5th of February a convention assembled at Queretaro promulgated
a constitution embodying substantially all of the radical program
that Carranza had anticipated in his decrees. Besides providing for an
elaborate improvement in the condition of the laboring classes and
for such a division of great estates as might satisfy their particular
needs, the new constitution imposed drastic restrictions upon foreigners
and religious bodies. Under its terms, foreigners could not acquire
industrial concessions unless they waived their treaty rights and
consented to regard themselves for the purpose as Mexican citizens.
I