The Washington herald., 1912-09-12
Mexico.

Those vino are familiar with the
condition of anarchy which has pre-
vailed in a great part Of Mexico for
months wonder how long the people
OF the United States apparently will
remain indifferent and how soon the
rebels will commit some outrage on
American soil so fragrant as to compel
drastic action, which, so far, the Presi-
dent has declined to take. A close
friend of Roosevelt tells the reporters
that Mr.. Taft is afraid to intervene
in Mexico until after the election" but
that he will be compelled to do so in
December. OF course, no one expects
Roosevelt or his followers to express
a different opinion.
Had Roosevelt been in the White
House, our occupation of Mexico prob
ably would have been an accomplished
fact months ago. This, judging from
the press dispatches, is the opinion of
Republicans and Democrats alike, not
as a criticism OF Mr.. Taft or Mr..
Roosevelt, but as a mere statement OF
what many believe to be fact, simply
because Mr. Roosevelt lacks that pa
Fience which has enabled President
TAFT to withhold the order for Ameri-
can TROOPS to cross the Rio Grande.
which. in his heart, no doubt. he be-
lieves ultimately must be given
His Mexican policy has made Mr..
Taft unpopular in California and the
Southwest. which have a vast capital
invested in Mexico and whose trade
with that country has been paralyzed
for months. The delay of the State
Department in promptly pressing the
claims arising out of the firing on
American soil by Mexican troops near
Douglas, Ariz. and FL Paso, Tex, con-
stitutes a weak chapter in the foreign
policy of this country But the Presi-
dent should not be held responsible for
the inactivity of Mr. Knox, who failed
to press our first claims.
With Mr. Knox out of the way. ad-
minstration officials who have crit
cised his dilatoriness are hopeful that
the matter himself As Governor Of
the Philippines and as War Secretars
he has gained experience in diploratIc
affairs We quote as one instance his
success in the Philippine friar lands
negotiations at Rome Whatever dis
appointments have resulted in his for
eign dealings must be blamed upon Mr..
Knox, who insisted upon running his
department in needlessly independent
manner. He resented the Presidents
mobilizing our troops on the Mexican
border, and has stayed his hand in the
Central American strifes.
But there is still another aspect of
the situation We hear it said that
Mr.. Taft declines to take any drastic
steps. despite his prerogative to do so,
unless Congress so orders, and that
if driven to it by force of circum-
stances he will convene Congress in
extra session. To our mind, this would
not be the proper course to pursue,
There is always some one or some
group who have an AK to grind, even
when a patriotic duty is to be done. In
this instance Mr.. Taft is not likely to
get the consent of Congress to cross
his Rubicon (the Rio Grande), unless
he pledges his approval of the Lodge
Bristow bill, now pending in confer
ence, and providing that no cane sugar
can be marketed except through the
refners, whether Mexico. also a sugar
growing country Cor Cuba), is an
nexed or not, without remodeling all
cane sugar factories which supply the
American consumer with some $780,
600 tons. of sugar annually.
- In order to protect American lives
and property, there has already been
intervention practiced in Santo Donlin-
go. Cuba, Honduras, Panama, and
Haiti without the consent of Congress,
and in this case, if President Taft
crosses the Mexican border without
converting Congress, he will compel the
refining and the beet interests to look
to the future for securing legislation to
prohibit the marketing of cane sugar
other than through the rehners.
What Mr.. Taft really abhors is the
fact that our occupation of Mexico
will turn out to be very long-drawn-
out affair, with endless guerrilla war
fare, that would cost many lives. He
believes that one such experience Tin
the Philippines) is plenty" But, cleo
ton or no election, he feels that the
time is not distant when he must act.