The Washington times., 1913-11-30
twenty-five Thousand Men Die
As Result of Struggle Over
Right to Texas.
THREE ARMIES IN THE FIELD
No Attempts to Police Mexico
After Conquest of Southern
Country by Troops.
What do wars COST

What do|wars COST
A question that is often asked these
DAYS, when the relations of the
United States and Mexico are
strained, when a portion of the press
is calling loudly for the United States
to take the bull by the horns, is, What
would a war with Mexico cost?
The answer can be found, in part,
by a comparison of the conditions
today with those of sixty years ago.
when Americans invaded the country
to the south, and a study of the data
on that struggle to enforce the right
of this republic to Texas.
Cost Lives of $4,000.
Sixty years ago it cost the United
States the lives Of 5000 men and $780,
po0ooo to defeat Mexico. 1t took two
years of fighting to win back peace be-
tween the two nations.
Military authorities of the time agreed
Il Zoo of our soldiers died in the field,
were killed in battle, succumbed to
their wounds or died in camp of sick
ness. They estimated 10000 more died
after they were mustered out of the
army as a result of wounds or expos
ure.
Critics OF the War Department and Of
the Administration took up the cry that
the wars cost in blood and money was
tremendously increased because of our
unpreparedness.
But had we entered Mexico in 1876
with the plan of pacifying instead of
conquering the country our losses would
have heen tremendously Increased. That
they were not greater was due to the
fact that the campaign was undertaken
with the single view of subduing
Mexico-Df furnishing her for objecting
TO our annexation of Texas and OF fore
ing her to recognize our ownership of
the territory.
No Attempt To Police.
The campaign was begun in northern
Mexico only because we had troops
there, and because it was the natural
place to begin II. When we saw peace
never would come that way, the scene
of operations was shifted south. and
the City of Mexico was taken.
There was no attempt to police the
country. Troops were left in towns only
Uhen they were necessary for military
reasons. When the war was ended our
soldiers were taken out OF the country.
For ten years before war was de-
clared it had been predicted as newt
able. President Andrew jackson in a
message to Congress in February. 1887.
had said that insults to Americans in
Texas would more than justify war.
He did not favor il at that time, how
ever, he advocated a policy Of tolera-
ton
70 For some years before that the
United States had been trying to ac-
quire Texas by purchase. Texas then,
of course, was a part of Mexico, but
was even less under the control of the
central government than are the north
e-n states today. Her population was
made up largely of American settlers
From 1873 to 1885 Andrew Jackson and
John Quincy Adams made Mexico Of
fers Of from 81, 900 900 to s15. .0oo. 900 for
Texas. She refused to sell
Texans Whip Santa Anna.
Then. on March 2, 1886. Texas de-
clared her independence as a republic.
The Mexican army under Santa Anna
was defeated by the Texans under Gen.
Sam Houston, and the independence
pretty well established. Mexico wouldn't
recognize II, but the American Congress
did
Texas wanted to Join the United