Imperial Valley press., 1913-11-19
Washington View
of Mexican War

Washington, Nov. 19-In today's
letter | want to set the people
straight on the much misrepresented
Mexican situation.
There is to be no invasion Of Mex
leo by American troops. Armed in
tervention in Mexico would mean war
positively, and therefore President
Wilson has no more intention of per-
mitting it than he has of going to
the top of Washington monument
and leaping off.
To put the situation in still an
other way: There will be no war
unless you, and you, and you, read
ers, and 90 per cent of all the rest
of the citizens Of the United States,
demand war. Things would have to
come to a pass where there would be
] such good reasons for war that the
people would simply compel the pres
ident to act, before he would yield.
Who in the world desires armed in
tervention in Mexico, anyway? you
ask. There are few large city
yellow journals that want interven-
ton and many rich Americans hav-
ing money invested in Mexico, who
want it. OF recent years their Mex
ican investments have not been pay
! ing the usual dividends because of
the almost continuous revolutions,
and this comparative handful of rich
men would like to have American SOL
ders sent to Mexico to be used as
policemen to guard their properties.
Why should the lives of American I
soldiers be sacrificed and the peoples
| treasure wasted in protecting the
! property rights" of those of our cit
i liens who, having gone beyond our
borders, have "taken chance" on the /
laws and conditions beyond our con-
+ troll?
1t would make little difference to
these men how many lives of Amer
lean soldiers might be snuffed out in
such an enterprise. All they desire
, is that their mines and plantations
-. be policed, so they may continue their
exploitation projects and their divid-
ends may not be interfered with.
:, The cost of a war with Mexico
= would not be borne by these rich men,
y either, but would almost wholly fall
upon the shoulders of the masses.
g The only funds the United States .
F., government has with which to fl
nance war are those which have
f been raised by taxing the things the |
: people must eat, wear and use in or
+ der to live. Of all moneys in the
: treasury, 80 per cent has been col
lected from the common people.
When armed troops once cross the .
Rio Grande, no man is so wise that
he can foretell when they will re-
\ turn, or what unexpected complica-
tions may set in before the conflict
e can end.
: That all factions in Mexico would
i unite to resist armed intervention by
the United States, and that armed in
tervention, therefore, would mean a
" war, there is little doubt.
Officials of the war department
believe that anywhere from 25O,0OO
to 100000 men would be necessary
to maintain anything like peace in
Mexico. The guerilla warfare is the
, Mexican method of fighting Every
time the Americans would capture a
city, however small it might be, suf-
ficient troops would have to be left
to hold it. Otherwise bands of Mexi-
can fighters would return from the I
mountains and recapture it. The war
department well recognizes it would
be necessary to have sufficient SOL
diers to police every part of Mexico
at the same time, otherwise, when
peace was being enforced at one
point, revolution would break out in
another.
If American troops conquer the en-
tire portion of Mexico, evacuation
would become difficalt, if possible at
all. We would then have upon our
hands huge new territory with
large population in continuous revolt.
That war with Mexico would open
this country to attack by any other
hostile nation should also be consid-
cred.
The American people can we'll af-
ford in this matter to put their COM
plete faith in the president. He is
7 clear-headed. He is wise. He is true.
Mr.. Wilson is really great presi
dent-one of the greatest we have
ever had.
To Teach After-Dinner Speaking
Bloomington, Ind, Nov. 19.-After- /
dinner Snaa kinr is to ha +,,oL+ a.