The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-05-18
TAFT CR|T|C|zES
AID GIVEN REBELS
Thinks Nearness TO General In
tervention and War Due to
This Influence.
GIVES VIEWS ON SITUATION
Acceptance Of Mediation Big Step
Toward Solution of Future Diff
hculties in Hemisphere.

New York, May lT.-wiiliam ". TAFT
gave his views on the Mexican situa-
lion to-day In nn address At the Free
SynaEoguc's celebration of Peace sun
day. While the former President en-
pressed little hope that the pending
mediation conference would accom-
plish ita immediate purpose, nc de-
clar-d the mediation offer and the
United states acceptance vas an I'M
portant step toward the future peace
ful settlement OF international dill
cuitics in the Western Hemisphere.
The former President asserted that
there was no popular pressure for a
i military policy which the adninistra-
ton cannot resist. iic sa'd that the
people we're determined to d" their
duty. even should that duty Involve
W,r Bpt Tor war. sac aided, the poo
pls nj prcgcut have little enthusiasm.
NJr. Taft criticized the Wilson adj
r1!rIistration for aid which. he said. the
administration had given to the McXI-
can ConStitutionalists
1T is m$ Judgment" said he, that
~, 3" our course toward Mexico dur
ing the past Year We had not cxertcd
aid one OF the contcndinG parties. We
should not row hc so near general In
tcrVenticn 1Dd war"
CALLS ON AMERICANS
T0 AID THE PRESIDENT
In conclusion. Mr.. TAFT called ON ai'
Americans To aid the President I'm his
efforts 20 find peace.
M- Taft took the place to-day OF
Secretary OF state Bryan. whose duties
At Washington prevented him from
fulfilling an en&H"c!i.cnt TO address the
conservation on 'tnternational Peace"
oscar Straus also spoke. lie pointed
out ;hat the Observation-Disclosures War
Vas settled through mediation. and
that Interference by ala v:;side power
Ia an International dispute was no
longer resa 'jed as IN unfiendIy act.
NJ. Tarts speech follows in part:
Nith our DCcadnoughtS and our
battieshirs assembled at Tumpico.
Vera CRUZ and AIazatlnn, with 5000 or
i'rre of our regular armv in posses
sion of Mexican city. and with the
rest OF our available. force assembling
1T convenient strategic points for pos
slblc further Invasion OF Mexican ter
rit9rY. IT may occur To some that it
is not appropriate to have "a Peace
sunday or 10 hold a peace meeting
/ For those of us. however, who hope
( that we may not be involved In furthe er
! "arlike activity or in actual war.
/ there could be no time more ftt!n1 for
! an expression Of that hope.
This is not 4 time for wishing that
the past had been otherwise, but IT IS
time for candor and for a clear un-
derstanding OF the situation. With
! II
my Judgment that If. In oar course to-
ward Mexico during the last year. we
had not cXerted such direct influence
as VIC have, TO aid one of the contend
ing parties, We would not now be so
near general Intervention ard war
Nor would we have been 60 responsible
FOR law ana order in Mexico TO the
world as we are now likely to be if IA
new government comes into power
through our influence. But not for this
reason can /, or amy ono who agrees
with Inc in this, fail TO approve and
applaud every honorable effort that o,u
government can make and is making
10 avoid Intervention and further CON
fiict
NOTEWORTHY MOVEMENT
FoR AVOIDANCE OF WAR
Il yield TO no man In my earnest de-
sire for peace. ana In my detestation
or war. but an advocacy OF peace that
ignores conditions and takes no note
or what Is practical Is futile and In
cfectiNc. Threatened war between two
stable nations is much easier TO deal
witt than such "A condition as confronts
us in Mexico. | am glad to feel tina,
there Is noteworthy movement toward
tho adj Dtion Of practical machinery for
avoiding war between ra.ponsible gov.
er .incnts.
But what We have to contend with
In Mexico. however, is the disease or
revolution. Eighty per cant Of the peo-
pie are ignorant and illiterate. They
nave Suirered wrong and arc struggling
bhndly with purpose, more or less i'll
uetncd. In state OF society whose
honds arc almost entirely loosed. \
threc-year war has laid waste the
country. destroyed it's industry and eS-
posed all foreign residents to lawless
violence and all their inve' tments there
10 obstruction. II has. In fact, become
an international nuisance
ttni
may property Intervene and help the
FORCES OF law and order TO end such
anarchy just because It wishes to live
in quiet nciehborhood. not from
spirit or conquest and greed Of terri-
tory. If we are to be involved In r,nr
because Of Mexican anarchy, let us
have 1t fully understood that we ro
into 1t In the service Of .narkind.' ns
the President phrases It. and not upon
the iSSuc or n mere punctilio In naval
ceremonial. Let us not enter lightly
or unadvisedly on coursc that viii
involve n sacrifice tho extent OF ,yhirh
may we'll make us pause
LAHGEH FORCE NEEDED
THAN NATION Now HAS
There are 100000 people In Mox-
Ico Much of it is in tho tropics.
There arc 900 square miles Inrrc
parts of It are tracklcss deserts. Inrec
parts of 1t are dihlcult mountain
ranges: large parts of II are troDicnl
Jungle and forest. We havo. say. So.
600 mobile troops of the regular army
III to take the field In Mexico. II the
available military force or Mexican.
trained and made hardy by three
years war. were to be nassed against
our troops. wo should need a much
larger force than we now have. to cap-
turc tho large strategic inland towns.
After we had captured them and
dispersed the armies the forces
against us would adopt n syatem of
guerilla warfare. That Is oasy to
carry on. ana difficult to suppress in
such country. The best expert csti-
mato OF the force required by us to
garrison the necessary towns. suppress
guerilla warfare and tranouillize In
tho country liz 10000 men. and IL Ia