The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1911-06-30
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! We caAn0t resist giving our very
hearty approval pf Jhe lqllAwpg eli,
vorlai In the last issue III ne World
To-Day SIS It's terse statement al our
weakness ia foreign diplomacy when
aTplled 70 trade matters Greatly ap.
peals " our Ideas, The editorial
reads.
Playing big brother to American
republics has its difficulties. Peace.
makers arc blessed, bnt their moti~es
are often nlisinterpreted Sometimes,
too, they get mixed In other pe0.
plN's AFFAIRS, Take our own case. We
Undertook TO help Cuba, got into a
var with Spain and emerged With
etlipinos and antiimperialists on our
hands,
we tried 10 help various Central
American republics preserve their
right to life, liberty and the pursuit
oi happiness, and end ourselves hated
by the rec0lutionists we crushed ana
10 be investigated By the revolution
lists we helped.
Nov We are doing It ali over again
with Mexico.
"0ur big brothering, however, has
one singularity. We seem more eager
AZ protect, pacify and adm0nish our
neighbors than to trade with them
We are ready 10 fight for the Mon.
roe doctrine, but we let Europe rur.
n'sh the capital, merchandise end
transportation for the republics fac.
lug the Atlantic. and rather look 10
Japan to court those facing the PA.
clfic.
As for Mexico, 1t is trne our cap
italists have helped build railronds,
our school teaJlers aud ministers
have helped develop rubber planta-
Lions, and men on salaries have re-
opened Spanish silver mines Bit
somehow Mexico does not love us.
It's university students call US bar
barous, and when we protest against
It's troops Kining the audience al
their revolution, the government
seems unconscionably loath to tele.
graph the soft answer that is var
ranted 10 turn away our wrath.
True, when the secret history ai
the insurrection is finally written,
American iinanclers may appear not
Ii have been wholly disinterested
spectators OF the American war ma
neuyers along the Mexican frontier,
but that does not affect the situation.
''If these republics are worth pro
lection, they are worth trade
1--WE need common sense IL our
tlade relations with American repub.
lies quite as much as they need our
big brotherly attention. And com
mon sense would in the first place
move us to disabuse our southern
neighbofs of the impression. so zeal,
onsly encouraged by our European
rivals, that We want to get more ter.
ri!orys
Nothing could be Tifrt1er from our
purpose II possible, we are too dis
Interested AS long as we are cham
pions Of republicanlsm, We ought 80
trade with republics.
!" II we must play the part Of 20.
ncemen, we ought at least to care for
the welfare OF The folks at home
South Rmerica is growing rich
Tie possibilities in its commerce are
almost incalculable. and yet while we
stand guard over the continent, our
merchants ignore its markets and our
shipyards have TO make coastwise
schooners rather than intercontinent.
al steamships.
The situation in Mexico ought 70
enforce this extraordinary situation.
we have been the big brother TO
pretty nearly every American fepnb-
lie on the TWO continents, We have
fought one war and have been ready
ID tight at least two others for the
sake OF republleanism. Whether our
motives were wholly altruistic or moi
is Of no Importance The really im-
portant matter Is that having play
e. protector, we ought 70 play the
trader,
satisfaction In our role as peace
maker will certainly not be lessened
BY the proper attention to our trade
balances AS long as we guarantee
the republics OF Central and South
America their independence, we have
every right to expect that they viii
give us a fair proportion Of their fof-
eign trade.
'We have talked about the big stick
We have practiced being big brother.
Now lei US be biz customer ana
seller"
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