Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1911-05-06

ton of our army equipped for hostil
operations.
Those best informed tell US tina
this lamentable condition of affair,
has been brought about largely BY
the abuse of foreigners of the contig
uous territory of the United States
by the active participation of Ameri
lean citizens. Great quantities oil
arms and munitions Of war, evadins
our custom houses, have been surrep.
titiously introduced into Mexico
Large numbers of American citizens
both singly and in bands, accoutered
for war, have openly crossed the from
tier and joined the forces which are
seeking to overthrow a government
with which we are at peace, and when
worsted in battle have sought a re.
fuge within our borders, only to re.
turn at will and take part in a con.
test in which we should proprly
be neutral. A so.styled provisional
governor of Chihuahua" has openly
Established his Office at Ell Paso, Tex,
therefrom issued his orders and car
ried on warlike correspondence across
the frontier; while insurrectionary
chiefs in other localities on American
territory, were actively engaged in
plotting against the established gov
eminent of Mexico.
1T is not necessary that we should
consider the merits of the controversy
in Mexico to pass judgment upon the
condition of affairs on our southern
border. Every patriotic American citi-
Fan who has regard for the honor Of
this country and its reputation among
the nations of the earth must deplore
these events, and inquire whether
there is not remedy for them.
am satisAed that there has been a
sincere desire on the part of the
president and his cabinet to enforce
a strict observance of our neutrality
laws. l am not so certain that a sim.
liar spirit has existed on the part of
the local authorities, either Federal
or State, along the frontier, where
the popular sentiment seems to be
largely on the side of the insurrection-
lists. But whether or not the neutral
ity laws have been strictly enforced,
1t Is plain to any student of our his
tory who has given attention to the
subject that they are antiquated and
are In great need of revision and en-
largeemnt.
Our first neutrality act was passed
during Washington's first administra-
ton, and they were put into their
present shape in 1918. At the time
OF their enactment they marked a
great advance in international law
and practice, and gained for our
country much credit. But they have
proved to- be too limited in their
scope: At that time our land from.
tier both on the north and south was
very sparsely settled. Our inter-
course with foreign nations was then
almost entirely by sea, and an ex-
animation of our neutrality code
shows that 1t applies chiefly to mari
time matters. The great development
of our population both on the Mexican
and Canadian border requires a re.
examination of the neutrality laws
by our legislative and executive de-
partments.
1.-THE attention of congress has been
repeatedly called to this subject, and
that body has been urged to the adop.
ton Of stricter measures to enable
the executive to more fully discharge
its International duties of neutrality.
Following the embarrassments on our
southern border attending the inde-
pendence of Texas, and on our north.
ern frontier by the Canadian rebellion
in 1888, President Van Buren, in a
special message laid before congress-
the defective character of our neu-
trallty laws, and asked that those
laws be thoroughly revised and en-.
larged In order Ito vest in the Execu-
tive full power to prevent injuries
being inflicted upon neighborinR ma.
tons by the unauthorized and unlaw-
full acts of the citizens of the United
states, or other persons who may be
within our jurisdiction and subject
to our control" Anu later in his
administration he repeated these re.
commentators. The Fenian plotting
IN our territory and the raids into
Canada led President Arthur in 1884
to urge upon congress the prompt and
thorough treatment of the question,
which he said, Intimately concerns
the national honor
Notwithstanding these urgent ap-
peals to congress the neutrality laws
OF 1878 remain unaltered with all the
defects pointed out by SUCCESSIVE
presidents. The fact that defective
legislation does not relieve or excuse
nation from discharging its inter-
national obligations was made very
clear after our Civil War. when our
government announced to that Of
Great Britain that no sovereign power
can rightfully plead the defects of its
own domestic penal statutes as jus-
tihcation or extenuation of an in.
ternational wrong to another sover-
eign power, and the Geneva arbitra-
ton tribunal confirmed this principle
" INJECTING upon Great Britain a pen
atty of $15,500, 900 because of its de-
fective legislation and neglect Of it,
international duty. Great Britain