The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-02-13
STIRRING NEWS FROM MEXICO.

| That is stirring news, indeed, which
comes from Mexico, and no less stir
| ring is that which comes from Wash
| ington, foreshadowing Intervention in
Mexican affairs unless the Mexicans
! themselves are able, without much fur
ther delay, to re-establish orderly gov
ernment It is a great pity that when
President Taft met former President
Diaz on the bridge on the international
line adjacent to Ell Paso, IN assurance
was not given 10 Diaz that the United
States would be ready to aid bin at
call in case OF any disturbance. Such
compact as that would have pre-
vented the Madero insurrection; and
Mexico, in place of being IN a state
of turmoil. civil war. and brignndagc
for the past three years, would have
been at peace, and order would have
prevailed throughout its boundaries.
The news that the houses OF the
Mormon colonists have been burned
and their farms destroyed will be
grievous to those colonists and their
friends in Utah. It is all well enough
to say that the Mexican Government
will be compelled to pay for these
damages, but the people would rather
not lose their farms and homes, and
would gladly waive any pay by way
of damages if they could have their
property respected and their homes pre-
served to them as they were before,
But it is TOO late for this now. since
the destruction has been made, and
nothing remains but the prospect OF
collecting for values that have been de,
stroycd.
Mexico as neighbor is in an in
tolerable condition, and has been for
many months past. The United States
would be fully justified in interven-
ing for the establishment of peace and
order. But naturally there is q great
reluctance on the part of President
Taft to intervene. for intervention
would mean fighting. and the loss OF
many lives that ought to be spared
both to US and to Mexico. But when
a ncighbor is so unruly, so vicious,
so destructive, so murderous, there Is
nothing 10 do but to restrain him, even
if deadly force has to be used. But
it is reassuring to know that Pres-
dent Taft is strongly opposed to in
tervention if by any possible means 1t
can be avoided and that is undoubt-
edly the true position for this Gov
ernmept.
1t is practically assured beforehand
that if the United States, after long
suffering almost intolerable conditions,
and seeing no remedy in sight, should
at last decide on intervention as the
only practical course, the administra-
tion would be supported IN that inter
vention not only by our own citizen
ship, but by the concurrent opinion OF
the world 1T has been the expecta-
ton of Europe FOR more than year
that the United States would inter
vene Suggestions for Intervention
have come from Germany, with the
acouiescence of Great Britain. These
two peoples are the most Interested
Of all foreigners in Mexican AFFAIRS,
except ourselves; and with the con-
currence of our own people, If the
Mexican turmoil continues on the
harassipp basis that it now shows, there
would appear to be nothing left but
Intervention as the final and drastic
cure for the troubles that seethe. and
that appear TO be impossible Of set
tlement by the Mexican people them