Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1913-08-27

READS HIS MESSAGE.
Joint Session of Two Houses of Con-
gress Hear Presidents Views on
Mexico Today.

Washington, Aug. 27.-Further pa
tience on the part of the American
people and notice that he had forbid
llhe importation of arms and NUM-
tons of war to Mexico were the donll-
nant notes Of President Wilson's long
looked for message on Mexican al
fairs which was read to Congress at
one O'Clock today.
"Meanwhile, what is it our duty to
do? Clearly, everything that we do
must be rooted in patience and done
with calm and disinteres.ed Gelibera-
ton. Impatience on our part would
be childish, and would be fraught
with every risk of wrong and folly
We can afford to exercise the self
restraint Of really great nation
which realizes its own strength and
scorns to misuse it. 1t was our duly
to offer our active assistance 1t is
now our duty to show what true neu-
trality will do to enable the people of
Mexico to set their affairs in order
again and wal. for a, further oppor-
tunity to offer our friendly counsels.
The door is not closed against the re-
sumption, either upon the initiative
Of Mexico or upon our own, OF the Ell
fort to bring order out of the confus-
ion by friendly cooperative action,
should fortunate occasion offer.
while we wait ;he contest OF the
riva! forces will undoubtedly for a
little while be sharper than ever, just
because it will be plain that an ems
must be made Of the existing situa-
ton and that very promptly; and
with the increased activity of the
contending factions will come, it Is to
be feared, increased danger to the
noncombatants in Mexico as we'll as
to those actually in the field OF battle.
Thc position of outsiders is always
particularly trying andl full of haz-
ard where there is civil strife and
whole country is upset. We should
earnestly urge all Americans to leave
Mexico at once, and should assist
them to get away in every way pos
sibte-not because we WOULD mean to
slacken in the least our efforts to
safeguard their lives and their inter-
ests. but because i. is imperative
that they should take M unnecessary
risks when it is physically possible
for them to leave the country. We
should let every one who assumes to
exercise authority in any part OF
Mexico know in the most unequivocal
way that we shall vigilan:ly watch
the fortunes of those Americans who
oon not get away, and shall hold those
responsible for their sufferings and
losses to definite reckoning. That
ran be and will be made plain beyond
the possibility Of a misunderstanding.
"For the rest l deem it my duty to
eyrecise .!he authority conferred upon
mo by the law of March IA, 1912, to
see to it that neither side to the strug-
gle now going on in Mexico receive
a,v assistance from this side of the
border shall follow the best practice
tf nations in the matter OF neutrality
NV forbi6ding The expectation OF arms
~. munitions of war of any kind from
tho United States to any part OF ehe
Republic of Mexico-a policy sug'
pes ed bv several interesting preced'
ents and certainly dictated by many
manifest considerations of practlca
expediency. We can not In the CIR
cumstances be the partisans OF eithe'
party to the contest that now ans
tracts Mexico, or constitute ourselves
Ale virtual! umpire between them'
The message commences with re
review of the conditions in MeXlc
and expresses great friendship for tn
people of that country. The presl
dent says that the present circum
stances of the Republic does not seer
to promise even the foundation @
apeac.e He reviews the sending 9
John Lind to Mexico as his speci;
representative and outlines the j,
structions which were given to Lir
which demanded the following cond
tions: