The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-05-19
STEP TOWARD
FUTURE PEACE
Ex-PreSident Taft Presents
His Views On Mediation
Efforts
LITTLE HOPE FOR SUCCESS
LITTLE HOPE FOR SUCCESS
Ex-President Calls Upon All
Americans To Aid President
Wilson In His Efforts To
Find Peace But He CritiCiSeS
The Administration For Aid
ina ConStitutionaIiSts

ing Constitutionalists
New York, May William H.
Taft gave his views on the Mexican
situation today in an address at the
Free Sy~nagogue's celebration OF
Peace Sunday. While the former
President expressed little hope that
the pending mediation conference
would accomplish its immediate pur-
pose. he declared the mediation offer
and the United States acceptance was
an important step toward the future
peaceful settlement of International
difficulties in the Western HemlS-
phere-
Mr.. Taft's Speech.
Mr.. Taft's speech follows in part:
With our ~dreadnOughts and our
battleships assembled at Tampico,
Vera Cruz and Mazatlan; with 5000
or more of our regular army in pos
session of q Mexican city and with
| the rest of our available force assemb-
ling at convenient STRAIGHT points Tor
| possible further invasion of Mexican
territory, il may occur to some that It
is not appropriate to have a peace
Sunday or to hold a peace meeting.
For those of us. however, who hope
| that we may not be involved in fur
ther war like activity, or in actual
war, there could De no time more fit
ting for an expression Of that hope.
Time For Candor.
This is not a time tor wishing that
the past had been otherwise, but it is
q time for candor and for a clear I'M
Outstanding Of the situation. With
Difference to the views of others, it
it is my judgment that if, in our
course toward Mexico during the last
year, we had not exerted such direct
influence as we have, to aid one Of
the contending parties, we woul not
now be so near general Intervention
and war. Nor would we have beer
so responsible for law and order In
Mexico to the world, as we are now
likely to De if a new government comes
into power through our influence. But
not Tor this reason, can I. or any
n who agrees with me in this. fai
to approve and applaud every hon
orable effort that our government car
make and is making to avoid inter
vention and further conflict.
I yield to NJ mar in my earnes
desire for peace and in my detestatio1
Of war: but an advocacy Of peace tina
ignores conditions and takes no not,
Of what is practical. is futile and inef
: f~ectire. Threatened war between tw,
! stable nations is much easier to dea
with than such a condition as con
fronts us in Mexico. | am glad t,
feel that Their. is a noteworthy move
ment toward the adoption of prac
teal machinery for avoiding war be
tween responsible governments.
Disease of Revolution.
But what we have to contend wit
in Mexico, however. is the disease o
5 revolution. Eighty per cent of tn
people are ignorant and iIliteratt
They have suffered wrong and ar
s struggling blindly with NOR
f: or less ill-defned, in a state of SO
ciety who's bonds are almost entirel
loosed. A three-year war has lai
Il waste the country. destroyed it's in
duStry and exposed all foreign raci
dents to lawless violence and all the
investments there to ~estructio
y has in fact become an information
% nuisance.
In such a case a neighooring ma
IF ton may properly interevene an
help the forces OF law and order +
Il end such anarchy just because
ar wishes to live in Il. quiet ueiybbo,
y hood, and not from a spirit of cor
= quest and greed OF territory. If X
are to be involved in war because :
III Mexican anarchy let us have il full
understood hat we go into II i, .,
service of mankind as the Preside
phrases it. and not upon the iSS,,e
a mere punctiiio in naval ceren,onio
~ Let us not enter lightly or nadvised
on a course that will involve a "a,
j. rlnce the extent Of which NAV we
"a make US pause.
an Would Need large Force.
e There arc il. 900. 900 DeonIa ;
he Mexico Much Of it is in he tronie
he There are 76o,o 0o square mlle5 lar,
Ii parts Of it are ~trackless deserts lar,
Mt parts of II are difficult na,nra
I'd ranSes; large parts Of il are tro
d cal jungle and forest. We have 81
u 1871 hhoofie troops Of the regul
L Amy Ut TO take tho fiahj :, ".
II tile available military for.c
Mexicans trained and made hard
ne q three years war were TO De mass
against y troops W. shouId naai