Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-04-23
ROOT s SPEECH IS
SEVERE ARRA|CNMENT
Of WILSON, COURSE
Makes Full Explanation Of Causes
Leading Up to Trouble
With Mexico

J Washington, d. c., April 23.-Sen-
ator Roots strong speech on the resO-
luton empowering the President to
use force in compelling the Mexican
government to give proper redress
for an insult to the Stars and Stripes
Is regarded as a severe arraignment
of the Administration course. He
emphasized the strong undercurrent
of censure in the Senate for the re-
markable indifference of the President
to the opinion of the Senate in so
grave a crisis especially in the fact
that he never consulted the commit
tee on foreign relations before ap-
pearing before the Congress to ask
support of his action.
said:
Our duty as part of the govern
ment, our duty to the hundred mil
lion people of the country and the
community of nations. and the credit
and good name of our country, and the
honor and glory of a great democracy
are intrusted to our hands. That is the
duty we are called upon to perform.
The course which is proposed is
armed compulsion of a people or some
Of the people of a friendly nation. 1t
Is armed compulsion of a government
which, l think, we all are agreed, is
the existing de facto government hav-
ing in it's control the greater part of
the territory of Mexico.
What is the justification for such
a course?" asked Senator Root I'VE
cannot justify 1t upon the confidence
which we all have in the President
We must justify 1t on grounds that
commend themselves to our con-
sciences, to our intelligence, to the
conscience of the American people,
and to the deliberate judgment of the
civilized world. What is the justifi-
cation? l ask what is it? In the reso-
luton reported justification is to be
sons given are painfully inadequate.
found in single incident"
Senator Root then referred to the
arrest of the bluejackets at Tampico
and declared that the act was dis
avowed by the de facto government
and an apology for it extended.
THE amends made by Huerta,
which would be all that could be ex-
pected from private people, were new
ertheless not satisfactory and not suf-
ficient for the officer in command Of
the American fleet" resumed Senator
Root.
Now. Mr. President, I agree with
the Admiral that the amends were not
sufficient as coming from the de facto
government and that there should
have been a salute of the American
flag But 1t appears that there was
interposition by our government, COM
munications between the State De-
partment and our Charge in Mexico.
representations to the de facto gov
ernment in Mexico City and other no.
gotiations as to the character of the
further amends that should be made
THE matter developed into a dis
cussion between the government of the
United States and the de facto gov
ernment in Mexico as to the quality
of the act that was done. There is no
dispute as to the facts. Apologies
were made"
With fine irony Senator Root ex-
claimed: But there is dispute about
the form of further amends. And it
is upon that dispute between these two
governments about the number of guns
that are to be fired and about what
the proper icustom Is as to returning
the salute when 1t is fred
Senator Root reiterated scornfully
time and again that all the trouble
seemed to have been stirred up over
the number of guns that should be
fired and the form and ceremony Of
the salute.
"It is upon that dispute" resumed
Senator Root, that this justification
is sought in the resolution passed by
the House and in the resolution re-
ported to this body. If that is all that
stands between hundred million
people and this poor harried, distract
ed people 1t seems to me that the rea-
How can we justify ourselVes?
III we pass this resolution we com
init ourselves to the exclusion of all
other justification and we commit our
selves to course that Will weigh
neaVlly upon the heart OF many a good
American who loves his country and
her honor.
Ihe Tamplco incident is not all
Ihere Is matter or 1ustihcation and
the senator from massachusetts seeks
TO lay 1t before the people of America
and Mexico and the community of ma
lions by recitlng IL at length in the
preamble which he has here offered.
1T Is story OF violence and an
archy IN Mexico. Lying behind it are
hundreds or American lives sacrificed
ana hundreds or millions OF American
property destroyed. Lying behind it Is
condition OF anarchy in Mexico
which makes 1t impossible to secure
protection for American life and
property in that country through
diplomatic means.
Lying pehlnd II is condition OF