Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1911-03-17
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AMERICA IN THE BREACH.


Altruism in a nation is hard for the
Old World countries to understand
On this account there are limitations
in the London, Paris and Berlin press
that the United States military DEM
onstration in Texas aims at further
acquisition of territory. 1t is signi-
ficant. however, saws the st. Louis
Globe Democrat, that Mexico, which
is neared at hand and which has d.
rect interest in the movement, has
no such suspicion. Her statesmen,
from Ambassador De la Bara, Foreign
Minister Creel and Finance Minister
Limantour down, say that they take
our governments explanation at its
face value. American diplomacy may
not be so astute as that of some of
the European and Asiatic countries.
but it means what it says every time.
The words which it uses generally
ACCl tAC O1u 1kVIlldA 81 l1u
test in that they carry their import
on their fact, and can not be made
to tell any other story than that
which their author commissions them
to tell.
Europe's statesmen ought to know
that the United States often, as a ma.
ton, does things that benefit others
more than they do ourselves. When,
in 1923, Monroe issued his hands-off.
the-American-contnent warning to
the Holy Alliance he placed a dozen
Latin American countries on the map,
and We have kept them there ever
since. France and England asked the
United States in 1852 to join with
them in promising not to attempt the
conquest of Cuba and to discounte.
nance such an attempt if made by the
other nation, but Fillmore's secre.
tary of state, Edward Everett,
promptly disclaimed any intention of
conquest on our part and also warned
them that the fate of Cuba was an
American question solely, in which
our government would resent any for.
eign interference except from Cuba's
overload Spain. Nearly half a cen.
fury later the United States took Cuba
forever out of any association with
European politics by expelling Spain
from this continent, and by directing
the Cuban people to frame repub.
lican government of their own. We
could have acquired Cuba in 1898 if
we wished, and in 1906, when the
government of Palma collapsed. it
was again in our hands, but we passed
it over to the people of the island
once more after they had formed what
looked and still looks like a stable
government.
Mexico herself has had excellent
illustrations of the United States un-
selfishness. Shortly after Appomat-
tox Sheridan was sent to the Rio
Grande with two or three army corps
to enforce Stewards demand that
Louis Napoleon take out of Mexico
the French troops by which he had
placed Macmillan on the throne, and
the demand was complied with. Then
Maximilian's government collapsed, he
was executed, and the Mexican peo'
pie were permitted to set up gov.
eminent of their own, free from all
foreign molestation. 1t would have
been easy at that time for the United
States in the enforcement of it's de-
mand on France, to cross the Rio
Grande, to hasten Bazaka's evacua
ton, and to gain territory in Mexico
Nothing of this sort was attempted OF
thought of. Still easier would it have
been for us to retain large part Of
Mexico in 1S47, when our troops were
in possession of the capital of tina
country, when we controlled the roat
between the capital and the Gulf o
Mexico; and when we also held the
line between the capital and the Ri<
Grande. Many of Europe's diplomats
declared at that time that Mexico
would be dismembered by us, ye'
nothing of the kind took place. Ever