The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1913-11-06
A CRISIS IN MEXICO.


the people that there is very near
crisis in Mexico; that the president i
tired of fooling with that man Huerta
and that something is about to breal
loose.
President Wilson is not to be helt
responsible for all that appears in the
newspapers. IL he were, his course
with reference to Mexico would seen
to be weak and vacillating. 1t GER.
tainly would look rather weak to KEEP
on telling the Mexican usurper that he
must not do this or that and when he
does do the things he is told not to do
have the president do nothing further
except TO tell him again that he must
behave himself.
We have seen fussy mothers act
that way with their children many a
time. For, instance, the mother who
is continually saying, 'Now, Johnnie,
you must not do that" and then when
Johnnie goes right on doing the very
thing he is told not to do instead of
turning him over her knee and APP
plying the single where it will do the
most good, tells him again, Nov,
Johnnie you must not do that" OF
course Johnnie understands the stu
alton perfectly we'll He has verJ
clear conception of his mothers dispo1
sition and knows whether there is d
real storm brewing or whether his ma
ternal ancestor is just clouding up,
but doesn't intend to rain.
If one were to take seriously all that
has been published about the Mexican
situation he would conclude that the
Washington administration is doing
a heap Of clouding up without any ser
ious prospects Of rain. But we do not
think that view is quite fair to the
president,
In the first place, we must consider
that it is serious business that con-
fronts the administration. Here is
Mexico in state of practical anarchy.
A bloody handed usurper is at the
head of about all the government
there is down there that has sem
blance of regularity. He got where
he is by the basest sort of treachery
and murder
1t is serious question as to wheth-
er the leader of the opposition would
be any Improvement as president, even
if he should secceed in driving Hureta
from the presidents chair.
A good many Americans who went
down into Mexico have lost their lives.
And yet it is little difficult to see
just how the government of the Unit
ed States could find sufficient excuse
to take possession of the country.
Mexico has been nominally consti-
government for nearly 80
years. 1t is true that during most of
that time mighty little attention has
been paid to the constitution, but the
other nations of the world have recog-
nized it as a sovereign government that
had the right to settle its internal aft
fairs TO suit itself. Its way might
not suit other people who do not live
here. but according to the customs of
nations so long as it did not get out
side of its own territory and trespass
On the rights of other nations or the
rights of citizens of other nations, the
other nations were not justified in
making war upon it.
1t may be said that the rights of
American citizens have been interfer-
d with in Mexico Perhaps that is
rue, but it would be hard to pin the
onto either faction that
S fighting down there now. If one
.ide or the other should whip the other
iide and really establish stable gov
there would be numerous
laims for damages to be settled by I
hat government, Most of these
laims perhaps would be made by cit t
Gems of the United States, but many b
would be made by citizens of other S
ountries and before force could be a
sed to collect the claims the govern {
nent of Mexico would be entitled to i.
he opportunity to settle them itself. v
Now before you jump onto President h
wilson about his course in the Mexi- n
an matter just pause about three or d
our minutes and ask yourself what s.
GU would do if you We're president of n
he United States. Maybe you say o
hat you would send an army right o.
own there and make the Mexicans 81
ehave themselves. Well, that would
e war and the president has not the
over to declare war. Congress has S,
nat power, the president has not B
Maybe congress would declare war n
the president asked it to and then j
gain it would not. But no nation is Ii
opposed to declare war on another d
alton without stating the reasons. Il
[aybe the real reason is not always CT
wen, but some reason is. Usually W
le alleged reason is that the offend CO