The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1913-11-15
rHE CATHOLIC BULLETIN, NOVEMBER IS, l9ls.

severe measures to preserve order
it is undoubtedly necessary under
the circumstances. The Conserva-
tive, or Catholic party Of Mexico,
is with Huerta, and he and those
around him are Catholics a fact
which we quote merely to show
that there cannot be much barbar-
ism in that region.
Besides, it is a serious matter
for the United States to interfere
in Mexico. The sending Of an
army across the border will have
the effect of uniting all the Mexi-
cans against the Americans and
of stopping the civil war. For
even those who are opposed to
Huerta and his regime will COM
bine forces with him against the
common foe.
Even if America has recourse
to armed intervention what will
be the result? The United States
troops may occupy the seaport
towns and capture Mexico City,
but will they be able to conquer
the Mexicans? 1t will be a gueril-
la warfare at best in which hun
dreds of Americans will be pitted
against a few guerillas who know
the country thoroughly and can
take advantage of it's topograph-
zeal condition to occupy strategic
places from which it will be al
most impossible to dislodge them.
They will need very little in the
way Of supplies and can prolong
the war indefinitely while the
United States will be using up
her resources in an unsuccessful
attempt to subdue them. Accord
ing to the Honorable John Bar
rett, who is thoroughly familiar
with the situation, lit would take
100000 men to invade Mexico at
a cost Of 81, 100000 a day for per-
haps ten years and thereafter an
almost endless pension list, - in
addition to the tremendous toll of
lives which will have to be sacri-
feed in the event Of war.
And even If the United States
does succeed in conquering Mex
leo, what then? Unless it con-
tinues to occupy it for years, the
local revolutions will begin again
and it will be obliged, in the in
terests Of peace and harmony, to
keep troops there all the time.
Furthermore, if the United
States goes to war with Mexico it
will arouse the enmity Of all the
South American Republican,
enmity which will persist for half
a century and will retard indefi-
nitely that progress towards har-
monious cooperation between the
United States and her sister Re,
publics which all who are familiar
with the question deem so impor,
tant Of attainment at the present
time. To endanger the friendly
relations that now exists between
the United States and the South
ern Republics would be national
calamity. They could not help re
garding war between the United
States and Mexico at the present
time as a punitive measure intend
ed to chastise the Mexicans be
cause they are in state of civil
war. From no point Of view could
it be regarded as a patriotic war
for there is absolutely no reason
why the United States should in.
tervene at the present time in the
affairs Of Mexico.
Then, too, it must not be for
cotton that Japan is not far away
and an alliance between the Japs
and Mexico is not beyond the
range Of possibilities. 1t requires
no very great foresight to realize
that it might easily result in the
loss of our colonial possessions
and certainly it would find the
United States unprepared to cope
with such situation. Instead OF
talking Of war, the United States
should endeavor to conciliate its
southern neighbor and allow Mex
leo to adjust her own interna
troubles just as the United States
did more than half century ago