The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-07-18
THE PRETENsE WON'T DO.

J Mexico, the lawlessness, the outrages
! and the peril to life and property III
that distracted country, and the sug'
gestion that ambassador Wilson is
blameworthy for the lack of kDowl-
edge is farcical.
1t is more than three years since the
upheavals began in Mexico; and in all
of that time there has been scarcely
a breathing spell when law and order
could fairly be said to prevail through
out that country. American citizens
property taken, and have been driven
out of the country and kept out at the
peril of their lives. There have been
frequent battles at the border line,
and Mexican bullets have wounded
Americans on their own premises in
this country. Dispatches almost every
day have been telling about gross out
RACES of every kind, and from day to
day almost all over the Republic of
Mexico there have been accounts of
fighting, or murders, of pillage, and OF
outrages of many descriptions.
| ana nOW dl dL OuccJ III opicO VI "''
| this, word comes from Washington
that the administration has not been
aware Of this situation, and has been
deceived into believing that nothing
in particular was happening in Mexico.
OF course there is no public knowl-
edge of what ambassador Wilson may
have been sending, or not sending, to
Washington, He has been under fire
a good deal of the time, and there
have been vehement charges against
him, especially by the Madero family,
and at one time adverse charges were
filed against him in behalf of the
American residents in Mexico City.
But Embassador Wilson fairly met
these charges, by showing the vote of
confidence passed on him by American
and other foreign residents Of Mexico,
showing that he has done everything
that an ambassador might or could do,
and that his record was satisfactory,
and more than satisfactory, In every
respect. Secretary Bryan was reported
as holding that ambassador Wilson
was vindicated, and was entitled to
the fullest confidence Of his country,
We trust that the administration
will not rest its case against Mr.. viii"
son, if it proposes to make any case
against him, on the pretense that moth
ing was known in Washington Of the
chaotic conditions in Mexico; for that
would be palpable absurdity, a pre-
tense too thin to stand the least ex-
animation
The widow of former President Ma
dero of Mexico is vehement in her
charges against Embassador Wilson, |
claiming that he at least conpived at
the overthrow and murder of Madero. |
This was TOO shocking charge to re-
ceive credence, and it could not be be-
lieved without the fullest proof. There |
whole basis of the charge being that |
when Sonora Madero sought the inter
ventiop of ambassador Wilson for the |
protection Of her husband, he was not |
able to extend that protection. In the |
fighting between the factions in the |
City Of Mexico at that time, it may |
be assumed as certain that Embassador |
Wilson could not have done anything |
TO protect the life of President Ma
dero; for Madero had been over
thrown, his life was in the hands OF |
his enemies, and, according to Mexi-
can ideas, his life was forfeited The |
brutality and barbsrity accompa nying
that sort Of method III disposing of |
ones enemies is revolving TO the pub
lie mind of the United States; still,
it is not TO be believed that Embassa.
dor Wilson could possibly have had
the slightest hand, by way of collusion
or otherwise, in the atrocious murder
of Madero.
When ambassador Wilson gets 10
Washington he can undoubtedly un.
fold tale of horrors and successive
instances of bloodshed that will amaze
The people of the United States, if the
are made public 1t is pos
sible that Enbassador Wilson may not
have reported on these matters Off
cially TO the extent and in the detail
that he might have done, but it is
likely that he may be able to say that
he was not aware OF these
things, and knew them only by com.
mon report, in the same way that the
at Washington itself
might and could have known of the
same things
But the pretense that Embassador
Wilson is called to Washington on the
basis that be had not informed the
Department Of the chaos that exists
in Mexico, OF the turbulence. Of the
fighting, Of the bloodshed and disor.
der, will hardly do as an excuse to the
American people for the situation in
which the administration now finds
itself. Apparently it has Just walked
up TO the seriousness OF the situation
because Great Britain, probably voic. ]
ng the sentiment OF Europe in this ,
natter, is calling upon the United
states to stratghten things out in {
Mexico or allow them to be straight. I