The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1913-10-10
A LETTER FROM FLoRIDA'S BIG
BULL MOOSE
Jacksonville, Fla, Oct. 2, 191;

To the Editor Ocala Banner:
1t does not require any "inspira-
tion" to see W.T.: a very clear vision
the mistakes of the democratic Moses.
1t is a fact that the Washington adj
ministration, in the matter of it's for
eign policy, has made the American
government ridiculous. Washington
fell over itself in its desire to placate
the Japanese, going SO far as to re-
verse the ancient democratic doctrine
of the right of sovereign state to
enact laws for the protection of it's
citizens. The truculent and egotistic
attitude of the Japanese in this affair
plainly overawed our foreign office.
Does anyone believe that such pro-
cedure would have been undertaken
by the little brown men if Theodore
Roosevelt had been president? That
situation only required a firm answer,
and this would have been sufficient to
preserve the dignity of the American
people. Besides the president knew,
or, ought to have known that Mr.. Bry-
an had no business inter-meddling
with California's state policies.
In the Mexican matter the admin
istration is completely lost in the
woods. Admit that Huerta is re-
sponsible for Madero's murder. Adj
nit that the conscience of the Amer
ican people .revolts at government by
assassination. Do these facts wan
rant a complete departure from es-
tablished precedents of International
law? Who has appointed the United
States the keeper of the Mexican con-
science? The new idea in diplomacy |
sought to be put in practice by the |
department of state has resulted in
this: John Lind, private citizen of
high rank and character is left wan
dering around in the sage brush of /
Mexico, unrecognized by anybody, and |
actually refused a hearing by the HUI
erta government, is trying to induce
Mexico to be good and hold fair
election, and if possible elect a col
lege r~ofoesor or cor,e MAGAZINE pub
Usher TO be president in that country.
How would England. for instance;
have treated this matter? The very
first thing would have been a perclp-
tory demand upon the only existing
government in Mexico that it should
protect the lives and prop
erty of the 10000 American citizens
living in that country. and if the
Mexican government proved its ina
bility to do this an army would have
marched across the border without
delay, and the demand would have
been backed up by Intervention.
The Washington policy is a direct
Invitation to the various and sundry
groups of rebels in Mexico, to destroy
the property and menace the lives OF
Americans in that country, and they
are accepting the invitation with avid
ity-to demonstrate that Huerta's
government is too feeble to protect
American interests there. What will
be the result? Gamboa will be elect
ed next month by force of arms only,
and if there are any rebels under ar
rest at that time they will probably
be blindfolded and shot in the regu-
lar Mexican fashion. Meantime the
various groups of rebels will go on
rebelling and destroying the Ameri-
can property for the purpose OF prov
ing to the American government that
Gamboa is not the choice of the Mexi- |
can people Comman sense and es-
tablished usages between nations do
not contemplate the "big brother"
idea. Mr.. Bryan and the president
apparently have not discovered that
the United States is a world power,
and as such is charged with the re-
sponsibility of protecting American
citizens against outrages and injus-
tices wherever these citizens may be.
We are in the hands of amateurs and
theorists, and the American people
will not long tolerate such emasculat-
led foreign policy.
Referring to the commercial situa-
tion, you know, Brother Harris, that