The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1914-07-22
CARRANZA'S HARD ROW.

| Assuming that the change from
federalist to constitutionalist govern
ment at Mexico City will be effected
without further serious difficulty, it is
interesting to speculate on the posi-
bility of the new government getting
Off to good start. Only little specll-
| lation is required to warrant the con-
clusion that President CarranZa and
| his associates will greatly increase
| their chance of success by turning 4
willing ear to such counsel as the
United States-possibly with the con-
| currence Of the A Il G. pOwers-may
be disposed to offer. Any government
in Mexico, to be successful, must have
the approval of the world in general
and the United States in particular.
That approval cannot be obtained and
retained unless the new government
is prepared to Obligate itself to the
responsibilities and common decen-
cies of governments as they are rec
ognized throughout the civilized world
The first test of constitutional fit
ness will come in the victor's personal
treatment of the vanquished. TO meet
world standards OF propriety there
must be amnesty for all the officers
of the federal government and all its
soldiers and sympathizers. Property
rights of federals and foreigners must
be respected. The anticlerical dispo-
sition shown by the revolntionists
must be depressed. There can be no
such wholesale contiscation of prop
erty and Punishment of Spaniards as
followed some of Villas early success
es in the north.
The new government will no soon
er be seated than financial questions
will begin to obtrude. There is the
old Mexican national debt, upon
which considerable interest is past
due. 1t may be assumed that the new
government will more or less cheer
fully acknowledge its obligation to get
under this debt. Then there are the
new foreign loans made by Huerta
early in his dictatorship. These
loans were made after the European
powers had recognized Huerta. They
are entirely regular according to in
ternational usage, and the new gov
eminent will not get very far with its
European relations unless it is will
ing to consider them part of the ma
tional debt. Carranza has said he
would never do this. 1t seems safe
to say that he will not be able to re-
organize The shattered finances of
Mexico l,licss he comes down this
pole
With the foreign loan obstacle
passed, the new government will run
into mountain OF foreign claims to
indemnity for damages incurred dur
ing the prolonged revolutionary peri
cd. Foreign indemnity claims will
run into tens of millions of dollars.
Some OF them will be preposterously
unjust, but many of them will be just
and must be paid II Mexico is to be
given good standing among the ma
tions For some of them the const-
tntionalists are responsible and some
are due to the activities of the feder-
alists. All are charged to the govern
ment OF Mexico, and all the interest
ed powers, the United States includ-
ed, will have TO look to the new gov
eminent for redress.
While the foreign bills are coming
in the new government will have to
arrange Tor the payment and demOD.
ilization of the federal army, the re-
Mobilization of the ruined transporta
ton systems and the restoration of
the law abiding spirit among con
fiicting elements. A new currency
system will have to be built up. There
must be no undue delay in enacting
new agraran laws that will give the
poems a chance to own their farms.
The work to be done in Mexico calls
for craftsmanship OF high degree.
Even then it probably cannot be done
without good deal of financial and
| other help from outside. Can Presi-
dent Carranza or any of his associ-
ates develop the resourcefulness that
| is needed? VIII their followers stand
| for the compromises and half meas
ureS that must be devised?
The odds against the success of the
! new government would seem to be
heavy at best. There will be no
chance Of making the best of the stu
| alton unless outside resources are
drawn upon in emergency.-Sioux
City Journal.