The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-12-05
ROOSEVELT ON MEXICO
Continued from. pas. one.I

Continued from. Page one.1
without any preliminary declaration Of
war at all. The seizure of the leading
seaport city of another country, the en-
gagement and defeat Of the troops OF
that county and the retention OF ter
ritory thus occupied for q number or
months, constitute war; and denial that
it is war can only serve to amuse the
type Of intellect which would assert
that Germany has not been at war with
Belgium because Germany never de-
clared war on Belgium. President Will
sons war only resulted in the sacrthce
of a score OF American lives and hun.
dred or two Of the lives of Mexicans; 1T
was entirely purposeless. has served no
good object, has achieved nothing and
has been abandoned by Mr.. Wilson
without obtaining the object because OF
which it was nominally entered into:
1t can therefore rightly be stigmatized
as peculiarly unwise, tgnoble and IN
efficient war; but 1t is war nevertheless
Responsible for Worst Acts Ever
Committed.
This has been bad enough But the
general course of the administration
Mexico has been worse and even
more productive of wide and far-reach-
ing harm. Here again, word-splitters
may, if they desire, endeavor to show
that the president did not interfere
in Mexico; but If so they would be
obliged to make a fine discrimination
between interference and officious and
inter-meddling. whether
it is said that President Wilson inter-
fered in Mexico or merely that he med
died in Mexican affairs SO as to produce
much evil and no good and to make us
for the actions of a pecu-
liarly lawless, ignorant and blood
thirsty faction. is of small Importance.
The distinction is one merely OF words.
The simple fact Is that thanks to Presi-
dent Wilson's action-and at times his
inaction has been the most effective
and vicious form of action-this coun-
try has become partially (and guiltily)
for some Of the worst acts
ever committed even in the civil wars
of Mexico.
Should Have Recognized Huerta.
When Mr.. Wilson became president
Of the United States, Huerta was
president Of Mexico. On any theory
Of non-interference with the affairs of
our neighbors, or any theory of avoid
ing war and OF refusing to take sides
with or become responsible for the
deeds Of blood-stained contending
factions, 1t was the clear duty of Mr..
Wilson to accept Mr.. Huerta as being
president Of Mexico. Unless Mr.. Will
son was prepared actively to interfere
in Mexico and to establish some sort
Of prOtectOrate over it, he had no
more business to pass judgment upon
the methods of Mr.. Huerta's selection
(Which had occurred prior to Mr..
Wilson's advent to power) than Mex
leo would have had to refuse to rec
ognize Mr.. Hayes as president on the
ground that it was not satisfied with
his economic policy and moreover
sympathized with Mr.. Tildens side of
the controversy. And If Mr.. Wilson
10 hi IN int IN,
Mexico-for of course the most
trenchant type of interference was re-
fusal to recognize the Mexican presi-
dent-he should have notified foreign
powers Of his proposed action in or
der to prevent SO far as possible
Huerta's recognition by them. Presi-
dent Wilson interfered in such feeble
fashion as to accomplish the maxi
mum of evil to us and to other for
eigners and the Mexicans, and the
minimum of good to anybody. He
hit: but he hit softly. Now. no one
should ever hit if it can be avoided:
but never should any one hit soft
Americans Murdered and Robbed.
When President Wilson refused to
recognize Huerta, he committed def
mite act of interference of the most
pronounced type. At the same time
he and Mr.. Bryan looked on with
folded arms and without a protest Of
any kind while American citizens
were murdered or robbed or shame
fully maltreated in all parts of Mexico
by the different factions. He main
tanned for a long time a friendly in
tercourse with one set of political ad-
venturers through irregularly ap-
pointed diplomatic agents, and he
adopted an openly offensive attitude
toward the chief of another set, al
though he was then the de facto head
Of whatever government Mexico had.
BY his action in permitting the trans
mission of arms over the border, Will
son not only actively aided the insur-
rection but undoubtedly furnished it
with the means essential to it's tri-
umph. while at the same time his ac-
tive Interference prevented Huerta
from organizing an effective resist
ance. His defenders allege that he
could not properly have forbidden the
transmission OF arms to the revolu-
tionaries across the border. The an
swer is that he did forbid 1t at inter
walls. He thereby showed that be was
taking an active interest in the arm
ing of the revolutionaries, that he
permitted it when he chose to do SO
and stopped it internationally when
ever he thought it best to stop it, and
was therefore entirely responsible
for 1t.
The nominal rights which the con-
tending factions championed, and the
actual and hideous wrongs done by all
Of them, were in no sense our affair
save in so far as Americans and other
foreigners were maltreated. We may
individually sympathize, as, for in
stance, / personally do. with the gen.
eral purpose Of the program for divi-
sion of the lands among the Mexican
cultivators, announced by Carranza.
Villa and other revolutionary leaders;
but this no more justified interference
on our part than belief in the wisdom
OF the single tax for the United States
by some foreign ruler would warrant
his interference in the internal affairs
OF the United States. Moreover nothing
in the conduct of the Mexican people