Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1911-03-22
Our Flag on the Rio Grande.

Ihe Stars and Stripes are on the Rio
Grande as they have not been since
1865. For the first time in thirty five
years the United States is assembling
an army on the Mexican border, and
more than naval police force is
gathering toward the Mexican coasts.
Four brigades are assembling at San
Antonio. Another is headed for Gal
weston. Still another has marching
orders for San Diego. Some ten vessels
OF the Pacific squadrons have been
ordered to San Pedro. An armored
cruiser division, with transports carry
ing 2, 600 additional marines, is pre-
pairing to sail from Guantanamo for
Mexican waters.
Polite diplomatic explanations are
given at Washington of ''field maneu-
vers, /" of drills to repel naval at
tack and SO on, and SO on. Troops
are not assembled for '.maneuvers"
with ammunition trains fully loaded
with ball cartridges. These explana-
tions are given because the national
government does not deem it wise to
make official proclamation of the real
reasons for this military demonstration
along the Rio Grande and toward
Mexico's sea borders
The truth is that the Flag is going
to the Rio Grande with division Of
the United States Army and strong
squadrons of the Navy behind it for
some of the same reasons that it went
there forty FIVE years ago. There is
disorder in Mexico and the Mexican
government, because Porfrio Diaz,
who is old and perhaps dying, seems
unable to quell it and to protect pro-
perly the ST., 500. 600. OOO of American
Investments and the thousands OF
American citizens there. The hun
dreds of millions of foreign invest
ments and the safety of foreign resi-
dents are also to be considered.
The ambitions of Napoleon the Little
brought our Army to the Rio Grande
forty five years ago Because the
United States was engaged in great
war Napoleon thought it safe to at
tempt the establishment Of an Ameri-
can empire with an Austrian puppet
on its throne.
Owing to the lack of patriotism of
large part of the Mexicans the piracy
was successful for time When
Appomattox freed our hands to deal
with the pirates the Mexican Republic
had practically ceased to exist and it's
lawful head ruled only in the border
town of Paso del Norte. now named
Ciudad Juarez in honor Of the Mexican
patriot who knew not how to yield.
The mere presence on the Rio Grande
of an American Army corps with
Sheridan in command changed all this.
No American soldier officially crossed
the border in arms. But the French
troops made haste to scuttle home, and
the Belgian mercBnaries with them.
And on June 10, 1867, the personally
estimable Austrian gentleman who
had permitted himself to be made the
puppet of Napoleon stood with his
back to a wall on the Cerru de las
Campaigns and paid the last tragic
penalty of the adventure.
But how different the conditions
under which the Stars and Stripes now
60 to the Rio Grande Then the
Monroe Doctrine was but an American
policy, resting on nothing save the
wishes of the United States and it's
will to fight for it. Now it is re-
cognized principle of international
action, which no nation dares fout.
Then we had menaces from Europe
because we made sudden end of the
Macmillan adventure IN Mexico.
Now we go to the Rio Grande, to
cross it if necessary to keep order in
Mexico, with the consent and the
sanction of all nations, They look
to US to see to it that domestic dis
cords shall not prevent Mexico from
observing her international obliga-
tions. And we shall see to it.
Therefore are the gray ships gath
ering and is our Flag on the Rio
Grande. Chicago Inter Ocean