The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1913-02-19
CONGRESS AND THE
MEXICAN TROUBLE
IF EMERGECY FOR INTERVIEW
TloN ARISES CONGRESS is
READY TO SAY "GO IT."

Washington, d. c., Feb. 1S.-Con-
gress is not saying much about the
Mexican situation these days, but it
is doing a heap of thinking.
Like President Taft, the state de-
partment and even the army and
navy, members of congress are devoid
of jingoism when it comes to the
Mexican difficulty.
One hears none of the sort of talk
that Americans are accused of induls-
ing IN on occasions when a scrap with
some other nation is in sight. Every
thing in the nature of bluster is prac-
tically silenced.
A few senators and members of
the house have freely declared that
the United States ought to intervene
and do so at once but these are in
the minority. They are men who
believe the destiny of the United
States is to possess Mexico and that
the sooner it is done the better it
will be for all concerned.
But this is not the prevailing view.
The closer congress gets up against
the Mexican proposition the worse
it looks, the more appalling appear
its difficulties.
The truth is that congress, as well
as the president, the army, navy, and
state department, have too fresh in
memory the years of fighting and
loss of lives in the Philippines; they
have too clear a recollection of what
it has cost to interfere with condi-
tions in Cuba to be at all light
hearted about this business of Or
dering the adrmy &c c~ccc the Ric
Grande.
Congress understands that it would
mean heavy loss of life enormous
expense, untold trouble, and little
return, even in the way of credit for
brilliant feats of arms, if America
Ntlt W lIlttl Ntllc.
Z True, the investments of American
financiers in mines, railroads, and the
like would be multiplied in value and
the existence of such Americans and
foreigners as are in Mexico would in
the long run be made much more
secure. But, so far as the property
interests are concerned, Congress
has small relish for sacrificing tens
of thousands OF lives to pull out of
the fire the chestnuts of speculators.'
While all this is true, the mainten-
ance of the Monroe doctrine, the pro-
lection of the lives of American men
and women in Mexico, the protection
of the lives of foreigners are weigh
ing so heavily in the scale against
other considerations that there can
be little question what course con-
gress is going to take in the long
run.
1t will do nothing if one or the
other of the Mexican leaders gets on
top, and has sufficient authority to
insure reasonable degree of safety
for the lives of non Mexicans in the
republic 1t will not sanction a sin
gle warlike movement of troops to
protect American property interests in
Mexico, despite the clamor in some
quarters.
The general feeling is that Ameri-
cans have gone into Mexico, at their
own risk, so far as property is con-
cerned. But if Americans or foreign.
ers in Mexico are attacked in any
way by Mexicans, if there
is any slaughter of Americans or for
eigners other than loss of life that may
be purely incidental to the fighting
between the warning Mexican fac
tions, the situation at the capitol will
change in a twinkling.
1t will not take a day to hurry
through a measure authorizing armed
if the emergency arises |
that really demands it. Because con-
9ress is unwilling to start trouble |
with Mexico is no sign that it will
not give word to go the limit if the |
need comes. And the existence of
sentiment in congress
hat, while the United States doesn't
iced Mexico, its fate will be to take
t over in whole or in part is a
actor