The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1914-02-21
VILLAS CRIME.

If IL is true that villa mas eHccuIeu
William S. Benton, the English sub
iect who denounced the bandit com
mander of Carranza s forces, the Mex
lean situation has again undergone IL
radical change and will tax the state
craft of President Wilson and Secrc-
tarv BRYAN TO the utmost. In every
case where unwarranted execution has
= taken place in Mexico, whether among
the federals or the rebels, ready ex-
c,lse has been offered. If the execu-
tion has chancd to attract the atten-
ton of the world. In this instance
Benton was accused of joining con-
. spiracy TO assassinate Villa, Few will
believe the accusation. but evidently
such excuses are considered necessary
10 ward of or at least delay the just
consequences of slaughtcring the limo
cent
6, &c has been common complaint In
Mexico That the killing or robbing of
an American citizen has meant little
2 as compared with the killing or rob
: bing of an English or German sub
ject. If Benton had been an Ameri-
9 can the state department might con-
:, slider slow investigation sufficient.
No one can doubt that the state de-
partment must now act promptly and
!: effectively If England is as aggres-
sive rs usual to punish the murder of
British subject, General Villa Will
find himself III bad way. Carranza,
. to preserve his prestige with the Unit
ed States and with the foreign powers,
must rid himself of Villa. While Villa
!. has been courting the favor Of the
: state department at Washington, ne
has forgotten that the United States
cannot protect him from chastisement
Z by other nations. For the murder of
y Bentou-if indeed Benton is dead-he
must pay the penalty by retiring from
the command of Carranza g army. Tt
is likely that he did not realize the
consequences 10 himself when he sen.
tcnced an English subject to death
The mere elimination OF Villa and
. indemnity will scarcely satisfy the
British government However friendly
II may be in supporting the American
policy with reference to Mexico, it will
be justified in demanding some guar
antee for the future, not only of Mexi-
60, but Of the United States. Only the
other day English marines were landed
and sent from Vera Cruz 20 Mexico
City, where they are now guarding the
British legation. In northern Mexico
if murder, robbery and arson are to
prevail with English subjects as vic
Tins, then the British government may
consider it absolutely essential to in.
tcrgene by military force, and such
Intervention, 10 be effective, must be
on vast scale. On the other hand,
President Wilson may deem it the duty
Of the United States to prevent such
Intervention. If he takes this view.
then the United States must give guar
sDtees for the safety Of British sub
, jccts.
Early in Roosevelt s administration
the foreign powers, at the instigatiou
of subjects who had made loans to
cphemeral rulers in Santo Do.
mingo decided to collect the debts by
selzing the customs house. To prevent
this action President Roosevelt sent
warships to Santo Domingo. Off
GERS of our navy took charge of the
customs. and we have been in charge
of them ever since. Roosevelt act
was branded as unconstitutional and
the senate refused to ratify it for many
months, but at length the arrangement
entered into by President Roosevelt
was adopted By this country as a treaty
with Santo Domingo.
Similar steps may be necessary in
Mexico at any time, aud the murder
oi Benton seems serious enough 10
z demand vigorous action on tho ia ri
: of President Wilson. The policy of
"watchful waiting will be soreIy
tried within the next few davs The
president has based his Mexican policy
Upon events as they arose This does
not mean that he has had no policy
because Fabian policy is sometimes
The best. He has felt that the United
States should not intervene if that
could possibly be avoided. 1t was a
hope rather than conviction with him
that the revolution would triumph be.
lore any uBtoward event such as the
Benton murder occurred, and that the
constitutionalists under Carranza would
be able to establish government which
would afford adequate protection TO
the liyes and property Of foreigners
1t secWs that he is to bc disappointed