New-York tribune., 1913-11-24
The Administration Mexican Policy
or Lack of One.

Our neghbor "The World" says it hopes that it
does The Tribune no wrong in assuming that 1t
favors war with Mexico. On the contrary, it does
The Tribune great wrong in making that assump-
ton II is precisely because The Tribune breads
war with Mexico that it is dissatisfied with Presi-
dent Wilson's handling of the Mexican problem
We know of nothing so calculated to bring about
hostilties as to keep two nations for months al
ways contemplating the possibility of hostilities
And this is especially true when of the nations
is as hot-headed as our Latin American neghbor
and is under the control Of so desperate a man as
General Huerta. The idea of war is made familiar
in this way and soon loses its horrors
President Wilson's policy with regard to Mexico
IL he has one worthy of a name has done and VIII
continue to do Just this. 1t will keep us always
thinking that intervention may, after all, become
necessary in the end. And it will keep Mexico al
ways guessing whether mean to intervene or
are too cowardly to intervene. 1t Will keep both
countries constantly entertaining the idea of war;
reluctantly, perhaps, but nevertheless entertain
ing it.
That is q dangerous situation. 1t is one which
the administration should have entered upon only
with its eyes open and after counting the. whole
possible cost.
And nothing in the methods of the adminstra-
tion or its character assures that the situation
which 1t has created was inevitable. We are not
reassured by the sight of Mr. Wilson's agents and
advisers We are not reassured by the part which
mere magazine writer's play in adjusting the deli
cate diplomatic relations between this country and
its southern nelghbor
We wish to speak with the utmost respect of the
President We know that his intentions are be-
nevolent. We know that his problem is most diff
cult. But we do not believe that he is well advised
and there is no indication that he has workable
policy. The discussion of Mexican relations has
brought forth most extraordinary suggestions ap-
parently from administration circles. They all
\ tend to show the prevailing unpracticaty.
Who ever heard of that fantastic contradiction
in terms "a peaceful blockade until the Secretary
of State put his mind TO work upon the Mexican
problem? Who ever heard Of moral suasion" a
compelling force in the field of international rea-
tions. field in which even law is imperfectly bind
Ing. until the administration addressed itself to
this problem? Moral suasion' is noble idealistic
conception, but will it work!
There was idealsm but there was also practical
hard sense in the nations refusing to recognize a
bloody usurpers rule in Mexico. The United States
could not afford to encourage revolutionists In TEN
pestuous South American countries to expect rec
oenition at its hands 1t could not If it wished
peace in this hemisphere.
II was, moreover, quite within its rights, moral
and legal, in refusing recognition, but what the
administration did further we feel to have been
largely Ill considered and generally without war
rant Semi-oficial utterances to the effect that
"Huerta must CO." repeated at frequent intervals,
were calculated only to provoke Mexico needlessly
and TO put this country into difficult and humili
ating position if Huerta declined to so. Difficult
and humiliating positions are full of grave posi-
bilities for sef-respecting peoples.
We hope that we do no injustice to the admins
tration. And il we do no good can come
from rlozing over the facts and calling benevolent
unnracticality. as The World" calls it, wisdom.
No harm can come from looking the truth in the
face. If war comes it will come from drifting into
it with eyes shut