The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-02-22
MAY Be WAR PRESIDENT"
VIEW OF POSSIBLE TURN IN
MEXICAN SITUATION.
intervention I'm Mexico Held Co be
Certain I'm Course OF Time--Once
Across the Rio Grande "On to Pan
ama"-wilson's Aim Toward
Economic mprovcment-Last Two
Weeks OF Taft-Director Barrett
Gets Snubbed.

washington, Feb. 1S.~Probably the
last thing Woodrow Wilson would
wish. along the lines of successful ad-
ministration, would be to be remem-
'-bered as a war President" The
evident tenor of his thought and tenn
permanent Is towards achievement
along economic and political lines
within the present bounds of our ma
tional dominion.
Yet the prospect Is developing
steadily towards a consummation
whose approach mas been previously
mentioned-a condition OF such in
tolerable turmoil and incompetency i'm
Mexico that tho forcible Intervention
OF the United states cannot be averted.
III that Intervention comes. and most
OF the authorities here believe II must
before the Wilson administration is
very far advanced. the stupendous
task OF subduing and controlling Mex
leo viii take precedence OF all other
issues I'm the mind OF the average
ened turn OF fate must be exceedingly
vexatious To n statesman like the Pres
ident-elect. who knows that our great
est need Is correction of the Ills that
infess our own system.
IL our troops ever cross the Rio
Crande TO restore order i'm Mexico, II
Is believed by many far-seeing men
in Washington that the flag OF the
United states will never be withdrawn
TIE same prediction was made three
score and ten years ago as to the war
which was then brewing with our
next door neighbor on the south. The
prophecy was not verified, bst II came
nearer verification than most OF US
now realize. Under the same condi-
10 the south OF Mexico. we should
have made our conquest not only COM
piete. but permanent.
We have now south Of Mexico the
Panama Canal a s4oo, 900, poo inyest-.
ment Between the canal and our
own land lies Mexico and three or
four little semi-anarchistic republics
whose principal contribution to civil
iization from the date Of their estab-
hshment has been trouble. II we ac-
auire control OF Mexico after a war
into which we had been forced by that
country's own barbarity and folly, the
cry OF "On To Panama" with only
these little squirming scorpions in the
way. would bee wellnigh irresistible.
Practically every disinterested per-
son who has studied the Mexican sit
uatlon agrees with the proposition that
II will be a genuine calamity II we
have to intervene. Nobody can tell
how long paclfcatlon would take or
how much II would cost and the ma
jority OF the estimates made even by
the opponents OF Intervention are
doubtless too low. That Is why Presi-
dent Taft has held out so long against
Intervention. and that Is why he is
striving TO maintain the policy for
the few days remaining u his admin
istration.
II II well recognized at the White
House that II would be undesirable
for az outgoing Administration to
start a war "A few days before turning
the reins OF Government over TO its
successor. Not only would IL be en-
harvesting 20 the new coming Presi-
dent Co inherit week-old war, but
the retiring Executive would be sub
Jected Co all sorts OF uncomfortable
suspicious as TO his motives In con-
senung at the last moment 10 pre-
eipitate the conflict. which he had
consistently avoided so long ds the
- responsibility for It's maintenance
would have fallen upon himself.
Therefore. the closing days Of Mr.
Tafts administration. which bade fair
20 be so peaceful In view OF his own
philosophio and good-humorod act
ceptance OF defeat. are full Of anxiety
IL II easy enough 20 maintain the sta
tus quo as Co Mexico ~ the trouble
grows no worse before March 4, but
II there should be n massacre OF Amer
lean citizens or II there should be
malicious and sustained attack upon
American property with a view TO It's
destruction. more aggressive action on
tho part of this Government would bc
demGnd
Washington has taken much inter-
est In the explosion which resulted
last week from the long pcut-up dis
esteem existing between the depart