Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-10-01
VILLAS ULTIMATUM AS TO CAR.
RAMA.


We have commended President VIII
sons peace policies as to the United
States. On the other hand we have been
utterly unable to comprehend the policy
OF a peace-loving nation, permitting the
sending of guns and munitions OF war
from a neutral country into Mexico in
time Of civil war including even gov
eminent order promoting such shipment.
We have had the charity to believe that
the Bryan dove of peace had It's head
tucked under It's wing temporarily and
that lovers of a fight slipped one over"
as the phrase is. while the Homer OF the
present administration nodded
In any event even the humblest civilian
farthest removed from war can now I'M
derstand it was a grievous mistake to fur
nish villa guns with which to assail
Carranza later on, if Uncle Sam was TO
recognize and seek to establish in power
the constltutionalists in place of Huerta,
whom the Wilson administration refused
to recognize.
If we are to assume that the United
States is to intervene in Mexico under
no circumstances again. we'll and good,
but if we are ever forced to intervene,
then the rapid fire guns we sold Villa
will inevitably he turned on Uncle Sans
brave boys.
IT, however, We are to solve the Mexi-
can problem by letting the warning fac
lions Of that pseudo Latin-American re-
public keep on fighting until they Kill
each other off, then we may agree in
this connection with Shakespeare in
Macbeth" that,
If it were done, when tbs done, then
'twcre we'll 1t were done quickly"
That being our state of mind, we may
console ourselves with the solacing
thought that the rapid-hre, death dealing
weapons we furnished the constitution
aists have added celebrity to the ways of
destruction which have been rapidly sue
ceedng each other in that chaotic re-
public.
We have long believed that the hope OF
Mexico lay in American capital and
American energy and American institu-
tons and American government. We had
hoped up to the time of the Madero re-
hpllipn hnWevar tbic condition nj
affairs might be brought about through a
peaceful revolution, resulting from tn,
| settlement of a sufficient number OF
Americans in that republic to speedily
transform the character OF that nation
1t is not impossible that rebellion viii
succeed rebellion until 1t has becom,
utterly impossible for any Mexican pre-
tender to preserve law and order for
any material period, and that the Ameri.
canization of Mexico Will be FASTENED by
the exhaustion of all the ruling classes
/ to a point where they will conclude their
to rest with the United States in some
form. Villas ultimatum to Carranza
may be step In this direction
The conquering of that people by the
United States is unthinkable, The spec
tacle Of great civilized nation like ours
going to war with a emi-barbarous ma
ton such as the Mexicans have plainly
now become would be travesty on gu,
profession Of leadership of the world
In the promotion Of permanent peace
We do not call out the militia when a
gang of cut-throats burns building for
plumber or wrecks train for booty
There are other ways of making the
penalty fit the crime. "Watchful walt
ing" should have become n confirmed
habit. and that is the limit Of what
should be done. except under extreme
provocation such ms our authorities
diplomatic, military and naval, should
be able to avoid