Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-11-21

Diaz was twenty years doing, that is
stamping out lawlessness and making
Mexico fit place for the investment
Of capital, the pursuit Of agricultural
and other industries and the transac-
ton Of commerce. And that Is why
the army man stationed at Washing
ton, with some perspective Of the sit
uation, and some responsibility con-
fronting him beyond that Of single
regiment or company, talks of inter-
vention In Mexico In terms Of hun
dreds Of thousands Of men. years OF
time and millions of dollars.
Army officers would like these as
poets Of the Mexican problem to. be
understood by every one before inter-
vention is embarked upon. It Is to be
borne in mind, however, that whether
these things are understood generally
or not whether or. not the army has
the proper force, supplies and equip
ment 1t thinks necessary, 1t is ready to
start for Mexico tomorrow. It only
hopes that it will have the opportuni-
ty to do the job in the best way II 1t is
to be called upon to do 1t at all.
The Mexican situation has been be-
fore the war department for three
years. During that time the war col
lege, the general stafr and heads Of
great divisions and bureaus have had
imposed upon them the task Of max
ing all sorts Of preparations for even-
tualitIes In Mexico. These plans are
prepared, and the army Is ready as It
can be without actually taking the
steps preliminary to movement OF
troops and the enlistment of volun-
teers.
/ Hands Of Both Tied.
/ It is singular fact that while Wash
ington Is convinced that Intervention
in Mexico Is inevitable. both the war
and navy departments have been
bound hand and foot, and are under
orders from the White House to do
nothing which would give
rise to the belief that the United
States government contemplates the
use Of armed force in Mexico. While
few believe that President Wilson can
extricate this government from the
Mexican tangle without resort to
force, the president himself has given
absolutely no hint that he regards
such an outcome as even a remote
possibility.
But having had the problem before
them for three years, the military ex-
perts base their studies and their
plans upon the assumption that in
tervention in Mexico will be for the
purpose of accomplishing two things;
first, to afford protection to American
and other foreign interests In Mexico,
and second, the restoration Of law and
order in that country. Since President
Wilson has grappled with the prob
lem, a third objective has been add
ed, that of the establishment Of a
constitutional government" resting
solely upon the consent Of the gov
erned and unstained by blood or vio-
lence. i-
Therein lies the difference between
the-tas of the United States in Mex
leo in 1918 and that which 1t had In
the same country in 1S46. In the war
with Mexico it was simply a task of
reducing to submission a central gov
ernment at Mexico City and forcing 1t
to accept the loss Of Texas, and then
for the trouble 1t had made to give
up the vast area then known as Cali
fornia- That was war fought between
armies and operating on military and
tactical lines.
In the present situation the work OF
1861 must be done all over again.
and when 1t is done the real task, that
of the policeman, can be begun. AS
pointed out by the military men, the
whole trouble with Mexico is the de-
generation Of the supposed central au-
thority, the Federal government. 1t
Is the failure and inability Of the Mex
leo City over which 1t Is supposed to
rule that makes 1t seem necessary and
probable that the United States will
exert itself to save the situation.
Might Increase lawiessness.
The overthrow of the Mexico City
government can be easily accomplish
ed, or at least without fear of any very
great obstacles; but 1t will not In the
least remedy the situation in the state
where hundreds and even thousands
of non-combatants, including many
foreigners, have been despoiled of their
property and killed. It is more likely,
rather, that, the subjugatior Of the
central government by American
forces would for the moment serve to
increase the lawlessness outside OF
Mexico City and the subsequent dan
ger of the life and property Of foreign
ers. Again, IL the American forces
went over the border and took Her
mosilo in Sonora, the present capital
of the Carranzitsas, such action would
not in the least better the situation In
the score Of other states where innu-
merable robber bands are making In
dustry, business and even residence
impossible for foreigners.
Having considered all these things
the army is convinced that unless the
United States is going to be satisfied
merely with driving out Of Mexico
City a government Of which 1t does
not approve, and then. withdrawing,
leaving the country open to even
greater anarchy and decentralization,
the task of Intervention will have only
begun when the Federal and rebel
capitals are occupied.
So widely scattered are the great
properties, Industrial and agricultural
and commercial, which go to make up
the greater part Of the material in
terests of the United States and other
nations in Mexico. that there Is no
part of the country where 1t would
not be necessary to have detachments
troo-, for nn1inQ MIR