The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-07-20
MEXICO Is TROUBLESOME.

In spite of all provocation in Mex
leo, President Taft holds fast to his
policy of non-intervcntion. While II
is hard to hold in and be calm under
the provocation of outrages that are
reported from time TO time in Mexico,
there can be no doubt but that the
President g policy is both wise (sPeak-
ing from the American standpoint
alone) and fully justified.
1t has been the evident purpose Of
the insurectionists in Mexico the pres
ent year to provoke intervention on
the part of the United States; so there
have been repeated outrages upon
American citizens by the insurgents,
and it has been hard to restrain the
feeling that we ought to send force
across the border to bring tnese
wretches to terms. But Intervention
would do more harm than good, and
would cause the killing of more Amer
leans than are likely otherwise to be
killed, and the destruction of more
American property than is likely to be
destroyed through non-intervention.
The recent phases Of the complaints,
referring particularly to those from
the Mormon colonists in Mexico, are,
however, of q different class; and still,
they make no difference in the attl-
tude Of President Taft, nor should
they. These outrages are perpetrated
by the Government troops of Mexico,
and they go all the way from loot to
murder; but intervention would cause
more loot and more murder, and so IT
is best to be patient and wait the
crushing of the rebellion, when the
Mexican government will be called to
account for the outrages, and espe-
cially for those perpetrated by govern
ment troops.
While it has appeared evident that
the insurgents were eager to provoke
Intervention, this can hardly be al
legged against the Madero forces. But
these have evidently become insolent'
and reckless because of the non-lnter-
vention of the United States, and have
made up their minds that the Ameri-
can Government did not intervene be-
cause it dares not do so. That is the
usual conclusion of ignorant dep
redators who esteem their own
prowess far beyond its deserts,
Even this. however, is not
likely to cause intervention on the part
Of the United States, although the
temptation is very great to rush forces
across the border and capture these
rufhans, even though they be in the
Mexican National army, and cnll them
of wisdom, however, still is with Pres.
ident Taft and for non-intervention.
The time for intervention, if indeed
there ever was any time for il, was
when Madero started his insurrectIon.
If at that time the United States had
interviewed toward the suppression Of
the Madero forces, in aid of President
Diaz, it would probably have been the
best all around work that could have
been done; for that would have retained
Diaz in control, and this would have
been the most effectual protection to
Americans and American interests that
could possibly have been devised. But
probably it was wise to refrain alto
gether from meddling in Mexican af-
fairs: and now it is decidedly too late,
no matter what the provocstion may
be, for whatever that provocation, the
evils of it could be many times multi
piled through foroible intervention on
our part.