The Forgotten Peace: Mediation at Niagara Falls, 1914 (review)

In a short but engaging read, The Forgotten Peace introduces readers to the historical events surrounding the Niagara Peace Conference of 1914, a third-party mediation convened by the governments of Argentina, Brazil, and Chile (the abc powers) ostensibly to resolve an international dispute between the United States and Mexico during the period of the Mexican revolution. Michael Small suggests that although the conference accomplished little of consequence, it is worth studying 'simply because it occurred' and thus offers lessons of value to the mediators of today (126). Although the engaging prose and source materials – song lyrics, cartoons – make this a particularly accessible text for a general audience, the brevity of the piece and the focus on diplomatic relations may leave those interested in a deeper understanding of the Canadian connection to the events of the Mexican revolution wanting more.

On 20 April 1914, United States President Woodrow Wilson ordered the seizure of a German vessel carrying arms and munitions for the forces of Mexican dictator General Victoriano Huerta in Veracruz, Mexico, and the occupation of the Veracruz customs house. Armed resistance from the Mexican Federal Army to the landing forced the us troops to take control of the entire port city. Intended to support the Constitutionalist forces under Venustiano Carranza by cutting off much-needed customs revenues to the Huerta forces, the us military occupation was instead interpreted as an act of foreign interference in the affairs of a sovereign state, angering all parties both at home and abroad, and raising the spectre of war.

In a lesser-known aspect of this story, on the following day thirdparty mediation was proposed by the governments of the abc powers and accepted almost immediately by Huerta and Wilson. Over a sixweek period, delegates appointed by the Wilson administration and the Huerta government met with the mediators in a neutral location – Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada. The Constitutionalists, although invited, refused to participate on the original grounds that the civil war was an internal affair, making any agreements ultimately ineffectual. The only real achievement might best be described, according to Small, as a public relations coup – the United States and the forces of Victoriano Huerta were able to save face, and the perceived threat of war was diffused.

Small suggests the Niagara conference is a 'completely forgotten chapter in [Canadian] diplomatic history' worth recalling because nothing like it has ever happened before or since (140). Despite this declaration of significance, only one chapter in eight is devoted to the Canadian story. Aptly entitled 'Diplomatic Distractions,' it describes the sightseeing expeditions and media attention given to the visiting dignitaries and the almost total absence of a Canadian diplomatic presence. Small is careful to point out that the Canadian government had no official role in the mediation; in fact, there was no official invitation to participate, nor even notification that the event was to take place. The explanation, although not explored at length in the book, could be that Canada's foreign policy was in its infancy. The Dominion Department of External Affairs had been established only five years previously (1909) and there were no Canadian foreign missions as yet. As such, contrary to the author's suggestion, it is not surprising that from the perspective of international diplomacy this particular event holds very little significance for Canadian history.

But despite Canada's reluctance or inability to engage politically, Canadian investors and business interests had a significant presence in the mining, public utilities, and banking sectors in Mexico during this period (see J.C.M. Oglesby, Gringos from the Far North, Toronto: MacLean Hunter, 1976: 154–81). One could argue that these material factors are outside the foreign policy view of Small's analysis but they are nevertheless important. They raise questions about why the Canadian government was so reluctant to get involved, even in the face of appeals for protection from those same Canadian businessmen and investors. That the event took place on Canadian soil seems far less...