Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-02-28
HANDS OFF MEXICO
IS ADVICE Of TAFT
Former President Warns the
People of the Horrors of
'i'' - Intervention.
APPROVES THE>POLICY
: OF PRESENT EXECUTIVE
Praise Of Col. Goethals, Builder of
Panama Canal, Before National
Geographic Society.

OCVSldpllC oVClCIy.
Former President William II. Tai,
availed himself of opportunities yester-
day afternoon and last night. in addresses
delivered by him before the National
Geographic Society at New Masonic
Temple, to warn the people of the United
States of the tremendous consequences
that will follow any possible armed inter
Vention in Mexican affairs.
In statements that were taken to mean
an attempt by him TO support and uphold
President Wilson'S policy vi caution. and
''watchful waiting" former President
Taft declared: Those who lightly look
forward to intervention are either utterly
regardless of the loss of life and the en-
renditure of immense treasure, or else
they don't know what armed interven-
ton on the part of this government in
Mexico will mean
Mr.. Taft pointed out that the situation
of the United States with respect TO Mex
leo is in such a condition that it would
be improper for him to comment on II
more than he did. 1t was generally
known that he had but just come from
lunching at the White House with Presi-
dent Wilson. and Mr.. Taft's measured
words ON the subject were heard with the
deepest attention.
Cost of Intervention.
He said:
Those of US who have had experience
In the tranquiliisins of tropical coun-
try. with people not very different from
the Mexicans. who take naturally to
guerilla warfare. and who would rather
fight than work-that is. would rather fight
and run than work-know the difficulties
that an army would have to meet to ac-
conplish the only purpose that We would
have in going in, to wit. the bringing
about of law and order. 1t would involve
the garrisonng with sufficient force of
every town.
1T would involve the organization of
columns to chase the gueriilas into their
mountain Businesses and across trackless
desert plains and the subjuyation of To-
10000 of people. I don't know when we
would get through; | don t know how
many lives il would involve, | don't know
how much it would cost, but l do know it
would be Il drag upon us and then when
we had gotten the thing done the future
would still be doubtful ard still be a
charge and a burden upon our govern
ment and upon our treasury. ! do not
speak thus positively without some
knowledge of the subject No effort ought
to be omitted to prevent 1t catastrophe
like this
In other parts of his lecture the former
President told his audience that the
nervous strain through which he passed
during the settlement of the Cuban re-
bellion that began in 1906 was as great
as any through which he had ever passed.
Discusses the Panama Canal.
Much of his lecture was devoted to the
Panama canal. He told how Col. Goethals
was found to superintend the. digging
Of the canal; he commended Capt Har-
bord of the United States Army, former
colonel in the Philippine constabulary, tc
the attention of Mayor Mitchell of New
York for the position of commissioner OF
police, which post was offered to Col.
Cocktails. and he declared that 'the great
power that brought us victory in the
sea-level or lock-type controversy was
the direct influence of President Roose-
velt'
Mr. Taft said, in part:
When ] first went over the canal it
did not look much like canal. and the
prospect of its construction was by no
means a clear one. We then thought
that we ought to have a Sea-level canal
We invited distinguished foreign en-
gineers to form board with our lead
ing american engineers, and they ad-
vised by a majority that We have a
sea-leveI canal. The minority, all of
them American engineers. advised that
We have lock canal II was a most
fortunate decision on the part of the
administration. If We had attempted u
sea-Ievei canal : don't say that We
could not have built 1t, but do say that
it would have been 50 expensive and so
long in construction that II would have
become q bore to the whole American
people, and that the difference i'll the
two canals as instruments OF commerce
is so small that the additions! expense
and additional time would far outweigh
the advantage of a sea-ievel canal if it
had any