Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1913-09-04

Wilson'S message, read before JOINT
session of congress, contained a COM
plete history of our negotiations with
| Mexico, and included the following
advisory statements:
That all Americans be earnestly
urged to leave Mexico at once.
That Mexico be informed summary
punishment will be made IL Ameri.
can lives are outraged.
That he deems it his duty to let the
various Mexican factions fight out
their troubles
That he must prohibit shipment OF
sure strict neutrality by the United
! States.
Failure of the negotiations of Spe-
cial Envoy John Lind was reported by
| the president, but he said the door
was not closed to resumption of peace
overtures.
The president regards the situation
as critical. The spirit of his address
was friendship for the Mexican peo-
pie. but extreme pessimism as to the
outlook for immediate restoration of
peace, because of President Huerta's
rejection Of the mediation plan.
The Message in Part.
In part, the president said:
ut is clearly my duty to lay be-
fore you fully, very fully, and without
reservation, the facts concerning cur
present relations with the republic of
Mexico. The deplorable posture of af.
fairs in Mexico l need not describe,
but l deem it my duty to speak very
frankly what this government has
done and should seek to do in fulfill
ment of its obligations to Mexico her
self, as a friend and neighbor, and to
the American citizens whose lives and
vital interests are daily affected by
the distressing conditions which now
obtain beyond our southern border.
Meanwhile, what is It our duty to
do? Clearly, everything that we must
do must be rooted in patience and
done with calm and disinterested de-
liberation. Impotence on our part
would be childish and would be
fraught with every risk of wrong ana
folly.
I'VE can afford to exercise the self
which realizes its own strength and
scorns to use it. 1t was our duty to
offer our active assistance.
1T is now our duty to show what
true neutrality will do to enable the
people of Mexico to set their affairs in
order again and wait for 4 further OPP
portunity to offer our friendly coun-
sells. The door is not closed against
the resumption, either upon the init.
alive of Mexico or upon our own, Of
the effort to bring order out OF the
confusion by friendly cooperative ac-
ton, should fortunate occasion offer.
CONTEXT viii Be Shan;sr.
while we wait, the contest OF the
rival forces will undoubtedly FOR lit
tie while be sharper than ever, just
because it will be plain that an end
must be made Of the existing situa-
ton, and that very promptly; and at
the increased activity of the contend,
ing factions will come, it is to be
feared, increased danger to the non
|
those actually in the field of battle
The position of outsiders is always
particularly trying and full of hazard
where there Is civil strife and whole
country is upset.
I'VE should earnestly urge all Amer
leans to leave Mexico at once and
should assist them to get away In
every way possible-not because we
would mean to slacken in the least
our efforts to safeguard their lives and
their interest, but because 1t is i'm
perative that they should take no I'M
necessary risks when 1t is physically
possible for them to leave the coun-
try.
ave should let everyone who as
sumes to exercise authority In any
part of Mexico know in the most I'M
eQuivocal way that we shall vigilantly
watch the fortunes Of those Ameri-
cans who cannot get away and shall
hold those responsible for their suffer.
ings and losses to a definite reckon
ing, That can be and will be made
plain beyond possibility of a misun.
Outstanding.
For the rest I deem it my duty TO
exercise the authority conferred upon
me by the law of March IA, 1912, to
see to it that neither side to the strugr
gle now going on in Mexico receive
any assistance from this side of the
border. shall follow the best prac.
tice of nations In the matter of neu,
trality by forbidding the expectation
of arms or munitions of war of any
e.es~~~s~~~~s--~-~S~-~~S~
Should Have Had More Thought.
An Atchison man committed suicide
by drowning himself in a cistern
why, in the name OF all that's just
and fair" demands the Lebo Star
didn't he jump into the river instead
of spelling a cistern full of good
water?"-Kansas City Star.