"the dignity and authority of the United States"—our authority to determine Mexico's form and personnel of government, with a view to meeting the wishes of "American owners of Mexican properties."
For the time Villa was our protege. But Villa was only a pawn. While we pushed the fortunes of Villa we also protected and encouraged leaders of the old regime who had either come to an understanding with Villa, who were trying to do so, or who promised to serve our purpose in the event of Villa's failure.
Before the flight of Huerta we had staged a rescue of Felix Diaz, one of the responsible assassins of Madero. Diaz was later well received in Washington, where his agents held private conferences with members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
During the period in which the Zapatistas were in control in Mexico City (January, 1915) Leon Canova, one of Wilson's many agents, abused his privilege as a consular representative to procure the escape from Mexico of Eduardo Iturbide, one of the props of the Huerta regime.
Canova smuggled Iturbide out of the Mexican capital in a Pullman drawing-room, turning the Mexican agents back from the door with the declaration that, as a representative of the United States, he must be respected, or there would be trouble. General Palafox publicly charged Canova and Silliman, another Wilson agent, with receiving 500,000 pesos for aiding Iturbide, and withdrew the charge only after a formal demand for a retraction by Bryan.
On arriving in El Paso, Canova flatly denied knowledge of the case. A few days later Iturbide told the story of his escape, implicating Canova. Canova and Iturbide proceeded together to Washington. After "thanking Secretary Bryan for helping him to escape from Mexico," in the words of the press dispatches, Iturbide opened headquarters in Washington and started vigorously plotting with Felix Diaz and other elements of the "old-time regime."
The way Canova's unneutral act was regarded by the Administration may be judged by his reward. Canova was promoted to the head of the Bureau of Mexican Affairs in the State Department.
While Villa was in possession of the Mexican capital, announcement was made that the bandit had entered into a tenta-
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