The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-08-06
OUR CURIOUS DIPLOMACY.

1t appears that we are about TO on
ter into a sort of back-alley diplomatic
relation with Mexico. President Will
son has sent his personal representa-
tive to look into affairs and presum-
ably make report Of what he finds. In
this the Mexican government is not
supposed to have any function or con-
Germ, nor to be consulted, though it is
vitally interested.
We undertake the exploitation Of a
protectorate over Nicaragua and the
monopoly Of an assumed canal route
through that country for which we are
to pay 100000. This protectorate
runs against a snag in the Senate, and
is withdrawn, but Secretary Bryan
says that the withdrawal is merely
temporary, that the President adheres
to the plan, and will submit it again
at the regular session of Congress.
We blockade the coast Of Venezuela
for no apparent purpose whatever, save
only as sort of friendly peck at the
existing government there, and to show
our hatred to Castro, when, ID fact,
we have no business either to give aid
to the existing government Of Venez-
ucla, nor to show any hatred at all for
Castro.
We exhibit a sort Of overlooking dis
position toward all of the LatinAmeri-
can republics Of Central America, and
some of them that are In South Ameri-
ca At the same time, nominally, we
recognize the full independence of
those nations, their right to conduct
their affairs in their own way, without
the slightest interference from us. Our
guarantee OF their independence, so far
as the Monroe doctrine may be sup
posed TO afford such guarantee, is
the United States; but this gives no
possible right Of interference with the
independence Of these countries, no
right OF official criticism OF existing
governments there, no possible right of
supervision as to how the governments
shall be established in these countries,
OF Of who shall establish them, much
less to guide as to which side in any
given controversy must win In order
20 obtain our recognition of the gov
crnment established by one faction OF
another We would not for one mo-
mcnt undertake TO meddle thus in the
affairs of any European, African, or
Asiatic country; and yet we would
have lust as much right to meddle
there as on this hemisphere, If, for
example, the house of Bourbon should
undertake TO establish its kingly rule
over France VIC would not blockade
the coast Of France OF Of any Euro
peau country to show our sympathy
with the French republic; but we
would have Just as much right TO do
that as we have to blockade the coast
of Venezuela to show our friendship
to the present government III that
country, and our detestation of Castro,
who is seeking TO overthrow the pres
ent government of Venezuela and to
establish there a dictatorship of his
own, matter which is none of our
business.
In Mexico we are refusing to recog
n;ze the only government In existence
there, because that government was
established through treachery and as
sassination, and yet we recognize the
government of Yuan Shj kai in China.
which poured out rivers of blood where
the Huerta government poured out
rills; and as for treachery, assassina
ton, and double dealing, that is com
monplacc in China.
And all the time that we thus in
trude among these countries, and set
up moral standards of our own for the
government of these Latiu-American
peoples, we say that they are complete
" independent of us, in full control
of their own affairs; we profess the
utmost goodwill for them, and pro-
test that our only desire is that they
should settle their own affairs in their
own way.
All this naturally gives rise to the
charge on the part Of the peoples oil
these nations that we arc the boss
hypocrites of the world, This charge
seems incomprehensible TO some of our
amateur and academic statesmen, but
that the charge has a certain founda
tion most Of the public men in the
LatinAmerican states would fully
agree. The idea is very well expressed
in an editorial in recent number Of
the Mexican Herald, which states cellar
ly the difference in point of view
taken in the Latin-American states and
that which prevails in the United
States. We give place to that editorial,
and commend IL TO the attention of
f. the Washington authnIilA- ami.