Carden had seen much service in Mexico; he had been on the friendliest terms with Diaz; and the newspapers openly charged that the British oil capitalists had dictated his selection.

All these assertions Carden and the oil interests denied; yet Carden's behaviour from the day of his appointment showed great hostility to the United States.

A few days after he had reached New York, on his way to his new post, the New York _World_ published an interview with Carden in which he was reported as declaring that President Wilson knew nothing about the Mexican situation and in which he took the stand that Huerta was the man to handle Mexico at this crisis.

His appearance in the Mexican capital was accompanied by other highly undiplomatic publications.

In late October President Huerta arrested all his enemies in the Mexican Congress, threw them into jail, and proclaimed himself dictator.