Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-03-15
EDITOR

Washington as to the forces required for inter-
lyention Five hundred thousand men is the min
imum There are now but 81 900 regulars in the
service, scattered from Alaska to the Philip
pines, many of them in Hawaii. With but four
transports on the Atlantic coast and those on the
Pacific not available for instant use, the assem-
bling Ct these troops, even if they could be spared
from their present posts-a doubtful contin-
gency-would be practical impossibility The
raising of an army of more than four hundred
thousand volunteers simply to intervene in Mex
leo is not an easy undertaking, even if the 5000
officers and los 900 men of the organized militia
we're to come forward A careful reading of the
mainland newspapers indicates that there is no
popular demand for Intervention. Outside of
the sensational Hearst newspapers, there has
been none of the silly effort to nflame the public
such as characterized those tense weeks before
the Spanish American war. And it is reasonable
to suppose that no wave of enthusiasm would
back the war department in an effort to enlist
800, 900 volunteers.
Great as are the difficulties mentioned, they
would be overcome.s The difficulty would be in
the drilling transportation and field-handling
of the huge army in such a way as to intervene
in Mexico and restore order without plunging
the whole country into general chaos. 1t is said
On good authority that the military details for
the plan of Intervention have already been
worked out at Washington. These involve two
points from which to send troops into Mexico,
the northern frontier line and the gulf coast or,
presumably, Laredo Tex, and Vera Cruz The
railroads into Mexico would be almost contnu-
OF IF
Three campaigns in northern, southern and cen
trail Mexico, would have to be waged, and in the
north and south no decisive battles could be
fought owing to the mountainous nature of the
country Some experts estimate the time neces-
Isary for Uncle Sam to complete this job, once
undertaken, as five years at the least
The maintenance of this immense body in the
field the care Of the wounded and sick, the loss
in commerce, the fierce hate of all LatinrAmerica
aroused and finally, the fact that some day the
United States would probably have to withdraw
her army and leave Mexico to Mexico's troubles
|again-these are some of the reasons why Pres-
dent Taft wisely hesitated to order Intervention
and why President Wilson intimates that for the
present, at least, Taft's policy will be his
There has, of course, been national indigna
ton at the killing of American men and Ameri-
can women in Mexico The news of the killing
was followed by prompt action on the part of
President Taft to safeguard non-combatants. 1t
is possible, too, that the presidents outspoken
intention not to interfere until matters became
worse gave the revolutionists confidence in
their immunity and that this confidence led to
the arrogant killing of the Maderos. Mexico is
chaotic just now and unless Huerta or someone
else speedily restores order and protects Ameri
cans the United States will have to intervene.
But Intervention is something that America may
well hesitate to tackle