davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-01-11

program. though it is a satisfaction to
note that even the unfriendly critics do
not question the Presidents motives.
Everywhere he is given credit for high
aspirations. 1t is his judgment and his
knowledge of Mexico and Mexican con-
ditions that are questioned.
Comment on this phase of the subject,
while occasionally tlppant, is rarely
superficial. Much of it is deeply
analytic. In some of these countries a
large proportion of the inhabitants are
of the Indian races as in Mexico Others,
such as Argentina, are comparatively
free from Indian racial mixture. But all
of them have had experience in moldins
and few of their leading men believe that
the present generation is going to see
popular government in Mexico, and they
say what they believe.
The substance of the comment of this
class is that for the United States to in
tervene in order to end anarchy in Mex
leo, to protect the lives and property of
its citizens there and to assume respon-
siblity for protecting the lives and prop
erty of citizens of other countries, is
something that can be understood: nut
why the United States should undertake
to go beyond that is beyond their compre-
hension. Some of these countries have
achieved much of their progress under
dictators who were statesmen, but most
Of them have gone forward under oligar-
publican institutions. The most marked
feature of the political system of most OF
them is limitation of the executive power
and jealous watchfulness of executive
usurpation. Consequently there cannot be
said to be any friendly disposition toward
dictators, even in Mexico.
x !:
Allowing for this state of mind, it also
has to be said that the action OF the ad-
ministration at Washington in announc-
ing its intention to establish popular gov
eminent in Mexico was greatly weakened
by the failure to take decisive action at
the psychological moment When Huerta
dissolved the Mexican congress because
it was not subservient to his purposes and
imprisoned the deputies If the United
States had stepped in and completed its
policy of eliminating him this would
have been understood and would have
secured some measure of sympathy and
support in the South American countries,
where the congresses are frequently at
odds with the executives.
IRON the somewhat f1amboyant tone
of the official communications delivered
to them in explanation of the attitude
of the Washington administration, the
different governments We're under the
impression that the ultimatum had been
issued to Huerta which would be backed
up, and his forcible dissolution of the
Mexican congress seemed to be the OPP
perfume occasion for enforcing it. The
same impression had permeated the gem
eral public. When nothing was done
confidence in the ability of the United
States to handle the Mexican situation
began to dwindle and ever since then 1t
has continued to dwindle. The govern
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-01-11

as though it were gouged out over night.
Now that the water is in. the canal seems
to be a thousand years old. The Secretary
of War when he was here the other day
could not realize that the green sides of
Culebra had been made by steam SHOW
els 1t seemed to him like a natural val
ley. and he said it looked to him like the
banks Of certain rivers in Maine. The
tropical vegetation has already covered
the sides of the cut, and in time every
bit of rock will be as green as the
mountains which slope back from the
canal. The vegetatio now reaches al
most to the water, and there are vines
which hang down and battle themselves
in the channel. There are enormous
masses of green in Gatun lake, and the
Gatun dam is fast putting ON a coat of
emerald green. Within few years the
canal will be lined by masses of tropical
vegetation from one end to the other. 1t
will be Ike great botanical garden, and
will be the scenic canal of the world.
I have gone through the Suez canal. 1t
is ditch through the desert, with
ragged gray towns here and there. Now
and then one sees caravan of camelS
moving along on the banks, and there are
sometimes mirages in the air overhead.
Otherwise, everything save the canal it
self Is thirsty and dry. Here at Panama
everything is the greenest of green.
There are palm trees and fern trees, wild
bananas and all the plants of the jungle.
X 4
But let me take you with me on our
trip of today. Our steam launch makes
about nine miles an hour and We have
Fritz MART as pilot and guide. He I'M
derstands Lake Gatun and the canal
from one end to the other. He is far bet
ter posted than the man who took the
first tug through the locks into the lake
and tried to cross to Culebra. This man
drifted about this way and that and
finally lost himself in the Trinidad river,
from where he was brought back by an
exploring party into the channel Marti
is one of the characters of the Canal
Zone. He was foreman of the biggest
dynamite gang. and at one time was
blown thirty feet into the air. When he
came down on the rocks it was thought
that all of his bones had been broken.
He recovered, however, and is now re-
ceiving $50 a month as the best pilot of
the canal commission.
We leave Gamboa and ride over the
spot where the dam was thrown down
when Lake Gatun was let into the cut.
We soon come to the slides and see the
dredges at work. In some parts of Guile
bra there has been considerable motion
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-01-11
Precocity.

uTIE Filipnos will get their indie
pendence, but not for Years to
come. The Filipinos are Intelligent
but they are not precocious. They don't
resemble little Willie"
The speaker was Representative
German of Illinois. He continued:
Little Willie is really too precocious.
/ met him the other day with his
schoolbag under his arm
"'Well, we'll said ], and so you go
to school now, CHI?
Sure mike said little Willie. Amt
/ over six?
And do you love your teacher 1
asked.
"'Aber nit said little Willie The
old hens too old for me-.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-01-11

great hills about twenty-four miles away
The lake is supplied by numerous little
rivers, of which the greatest is the Cha
gres 1t has been steadily rising for more
than a year. and its surface is now over
eighty feet above the level of the ocean.
The water has spread out over the val
leys, and the lake now covers an area as
large as 1000 eighty-acre farms all
patched together.
Coming from Gamboa, We first enter
the valley of the Chagres. This is narrow
near the end of Culebra cut, but it soon
widens out to half mile or more, wind
ing in and about among hills that are
beautifully green. There are palm trees
growing on the edge of the water, and We
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-01-11

see them standing out against the sky,
on the tops of the hills.
Farther out on the lake we sail about
the shores of beautiful islands, and we
now and then pass floating islands, con-
sisting of tropical swamps which have
been lifted from their foundations by the
water and are carried by the winds here
and there over the lake. Some of these
islands are of several acres in area, and
they rise and fall with the waves made
by our launch as we steam by.
On some of the floating islands are
birds, and on one 1 saw an iguana, the
giant lizard of this part of the world.
which Is as big as a cat and whose meat
tastes like young chicken. Some Of the
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-01-11

America, that il feels is Ast. is to go
ahead with that policy regardless of un-
popularity down this way Uncertainty
hurts more than anything else: Presi-
recognize Huerta, but he should not have
stopped there. He lost his influence
among these people by doing nothing
further. With them words, to be eff
fectiye, must be backed up by deeds.
This is the best composite view of the
situation that l have heard i'll any OF the
different countries.
CHARLES NJ. PEPPER.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-01-11

quiesce in the policy of the United States
in eliminating Huerta, but without any
responsibility for results. Two or three
of the governments are likely to have re-
sponded to the representations OF the
United States with some appearance OF
cordiality.
None of them cares for Huerta or feels
any special friendship for Mexico.
1 have seen evidence in the number of
the capitals that the governments were
trying to mold sentiment favorable to the
United States. with view to justifying
their course in following US. for 1t must
be admitted that on this subject the gov
ernments are in advance of their people.
The administrations in power appear to
be strong enough to sustain themselves
in following the United States. on the
ground that this is an International mat
ter But it should not be expected that
they will be strenuous in defending the
theory of constitutional government as
the reason for eliminating Huerta, for
they will not. Nor will all of them breast
the popular currents II these become
strongly antf-American.
While the attitude of the different gov
ernments is friendly. it should not be as
sumed that there is a concert OF action
among them with the purpose of helping
the United States out of difficult situa-
ton.
The mythical A. B. c. alliance of Ar
gentine Brazil and Chile may be cited as
an evidence of concerted friendship and
harmonious cooperation. 1t is paln1ui
to destroy an illusion, but the facts are
otherwise The so-called A. B. c. pow
ers, the strong and stable" countries.
acauiesce in the Washington policy OF
eliminating Huerta. but each does SO Tor
reasons of its own. Each wants the
in this Mexican muddle, and each wants
some token that the value of its friend
ship is appreciated.
+ r
Back Of the policy of these South
American governments in following the
United States is something of deep sig
ni1cance. 1t is too vague and indefinite
to be stated positively, yet 1t has seemed
to me that the common impulse which
Is moving them is the recognition Of the
paramount influence of the United States
as against Europe. When the statement
is openly made, which is seldom, usually
it is coupled with the qualification that
the United States must accept the re-
sponsibility of safeguarding European in
terests in Mexico. if Europe Is not to be
allowed to join in restoring order there.
South American mediation or interven-
ton Jointly with the United states does
not meet with favor in the countries
which would be asked to cooperate.
should such plan be adopted The sug-
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-01-11

bra cut and over the windings of the
channel in Lake Gatun. Rear Admiral
II. II. Rousseau of the canal commission
furnished the launch, and he was in COM
nand of the party. consisting of Mr.
w. H. Mullins. the Costa Rican manager
of the United Fruit Company, the man
aging editor of one of the New York
Iaiiies and several others. 1t was early
in the morning when we started out from
Camboa. and 1t was long after noon
when We ended our trip at the locks at
Gatun. having spent eight hours in
steaming in and out of the great channel
which, within a few months from now,
will be traversed by the steamers of the
united oceans.
| have visited the canal again and
again in the several stages of its max
ing. l saw it late in the nineties. when
the French were in charge, and again
in 1895. when our first chief engineer.
Mr.. Wallace, was dragging the old
French machinery out of the jungle and
setting our first steam shovels to work
ing I have been on the ground several
times during the administration of Col.
Goethals. when more than 10000 men
were employed. and l have seen the
steam shoveis, each of which does the
work Of 500 men. gouging out the beds
Of the oceans and lifting the rock from
the great cut through the Andes.
The work has been SO great that it has
dwarfed all past undertakings. 1t has
changed the makers of the Pyramids to
pygmies. and has made the great Chinese
wall seem no bigger than the rail fence
round your farm. But ! shall not write
of the imn.ensity Of the construction.
That has been pictured again and again.
This letter deals with the canal at its
completion, when the evidences of the
labor and brains which have cost the
United States more than $500, O00.0O have
been largely buried by the waters of the
Chagres. 1t deals with the great water
way as it looks now and much as it
will look for all time to come.
All the pictures you have seen of the
canal have represented 1t as mighty
ditch through the mountains. 1t has
been ragged and rough, and has looked
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-01-11

American countries have maintained
regular diplomatic and consular corps in
Mexico. Sometimes the minister to
Washington has been accredited also to
Mexico and sometimes there has been
minister to Mexico and the Central Amer
lean republics and Cuba. The Chilean
congress recently has been considering a
proposition to abolish its legation in Mex
leo, not because of the present disturbed
condition there, but as a permanent
measure.
1t thus will be seen how little direct in
other South American countries have in
the country to the south of the Rio
Grande. But it does not follow that there
is lack Of knowledge of Mexican affairs
In these countries. All of them have Of
ficials who in the course of their public
service have been in diplomatic positions
or on special missions. The ieducated
South American public is well informed
because information on international af-
fairs is part of its education. They are
all experts in world politics and Mexico
has always entered in world politics The
attitude of this body of educated men
must be taken into account, for ultimate
tics of the different governments, though
not to the extent of controlling them I
do not call it a completely enlightened
body of public opinion, for often there are
dark streaks of prejudice on which the
light needs to be let in.
These educated South Americans have
watched the developments between the
United States and Mexico with a calm
If not an entirely impartial mind. They
keenly enjoyed what they considered the
diplomatic fencing in the correspondence
between Washington and Mexico when
Special Envoy Lind was sent to persuade
Huerta to eliminate himself The tend
ency was to award the honors of the
epistolary debate to Mexico On the
question whether Europe would succeed
in forcing the hand of the United States,
or the United States that of Europe, the
weight of opinion has been in favor of
the United States.
Huerta is discussed impersonally and
apart from the right of the United States
to demand that he eliminate himself In
this aspect the comment is all unfavor-
able. "A vulgar dictator" "a wouid-be
Napoleon" the shame of Latin Amer
lea" and the scandal of Latin America
are the phrases most commonly nused
to describe him.
\ i
But while this is the view taken of
Huerta, it is rarely coupled even with
qualified approval of the Washington
program of eliminating him and setting
up constitutional government based on
popular institutions. To put it plainly,
l have found no one in South America,
whether friendly or unfriendly to the
United States, who has faith in such
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-01-11

ment and the South American public
were better prepared for positive action
on the part of the United States than
they will be again. The failure to act
was interpreted as weakness on the part
of Washington and uncertainty. of its
own position.
4 publicst of reputation summed up
very prevalent view in the remark:
"A nation as dictator may be better
for Mexico than an individual, may do
more for popular government than Diaz
was able to do. But 1t is an immense
task. Your way of going about it does
not seem to show deep knowledge OF
Mexico and the Mexicans."
.Then YOU think the United States Is
a DICTATOR"
Yes, and internationally a benevolent
one. But your benevolence should be
tempered by knowledge Of what Is be-
fore you. Give Mexico order and Sc
curity, then see what you can do for
popular government among that Aztec
population
There is a term in Spanish which I
have heard applied to the Presidents
plan of constitutional government, as I'M
derstood in these South American coun-
tries. Sometimes 1t is given to preten-
purpose; sometimes it is applied to lofty
motives which are felt to rest on no SUBJ
stantial foundation. The term Is ''celes-
tial music" When 1t is stated that this
phrase is often heard in connection with
our establishing popular government in
Mexico, no one who understands the
Spanish language and the ways of think
ing of the Spanish-Amerfcan people Will
be in doubt as to the mental attitude OF
educated South Americans on this point.
The course of the South American
newspapers, as I have noted 1t. in every
country from Peru to Brazil. has been
fair in the presentation of the news,
biased. The press dispatches, both from
the United States and Mexico, have been
impartial SO that it has been possible to
follow the actual developments intelli-
gently.
Editorial and semi-editorial comment
varies somewhat according to place and
time. In Lima in September it was
markedly anti-Huerta without being par
ticularly pro-American. In Valparaiso
and Santiago in October it was coldly
critical and expectant. During November
in Buenos Aires it was analytic with a
whose influence extends beyond South
America. was sharply critical of Presi-
dent Wilson. not only on the Mexican
policy, but on the general Latin Ameri-
can policy. with special reference to the
patronizing tone of the Presidents Mo-
bile speech. In Montevideo during the
same month the comment was reserved,
but on the whole not unfriendly. Here
in Rio de Janeiro, out of dozen daily
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-01-11
RIO De JANEIRO, Brazil.
January l. 1914.

OUTH AMERICA
vi e W s NJ e x | C o
through a mist. It
is waiting for
light from the
United States to
break through
Observations be-
gun four months
ago at Panama,
continued along
the west coast.
across to the east
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-01-11

How the Great Ditch
Looks With the Water
In It-A River of
Tropical Wonders in
Plants and Trees-The
Water Lettuce of Gu
Zebra Cut and the
Floating Papyrus Is
lands of Lake Gatun-
The Dying Forests
Which Are Killing the
Fish = Alligators and
Iguanas Pelicans.
Herons and Tapirs-A
Look at the Locks Filled
and Untitled - Some
thing About the New
Electric Plant Which
Will Move the Ma
chinery.
copyrighted. 1914, by Franz &. Cagpeatrr.,
TIVOLI HOTEL, ANCON. Panama.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-01-11

coast and up to Rio have been taken
with the purpose Of crystalhztng. SO Tar
as it is possible to crystalline, the gen.
eral or average sentiment. 1 am going
to state the result in South American
environment, 5000 miles from Washing
ton.
The marked feature Of the situation is
the diminishing prestige of the United
States. Prestige is another name for
confidence in us and this confidence is
the foundation of the moral influence
which is supposed to be the aim Of our
national policy in regard to South Amer
lea The loss of prestige means the less
ening of our moral influence and the
growth of anti-American sentiment which
is becoming prevalent.
II was at Panama that Latin Ameri-
can diplomat. who has seen service in
Washington and who understands col
loqual English. remarked:
Your President in this Mexican affair,
at what port shall he disembark?"
You mean where does he get off?"
Yes. that is it. Where shall he get
off?''
This was early in September. The Dip
lomat was precise in his use of the fu-
ture tense Since then I have heard the
same question many times and in many
forms, but always with the accent on
the future, and during the last two
months with a growing note Of uncer-
tainty and distrust The drifting policy
does not favorably impress the South
American mind. While 1t is not pleasant
to hear these questions and to contem-
plate the diminishing influence of the
United States, the condition is one which
may be remedied any day by decisive
action.
South America has little direct concern
with Mexico. There Is geographical
relation OF propinquity. Trade relations
are of slight consequence. since there is
little basis for she interchange Of prod
ucts- No such thing exists as invest
nents by the citizens Of Argentina, Chile
or Brazil and these countries have not a
handful of their people in Mexico, so the
protection OF lives and property has no
application to them. Few Of the South
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-01-11

copyrighted. 1914, by FRANK 6. ca.psa,rr.,
TIVOLI HOTEL, ANCON. Panama.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-01-11

quiesce in the policy of the United States
in eliminating Huerta, but without any
responsibility for results. Two or three
of the governments are likely to have re-
sponded to the representations of the
United States with some appearance Of
cordially.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-01-11

ment and the South American public
were better prepared for positive action
on the part of the United States than
they will be again. The failure to act
was Interpreted as weakness on the part
of Washington and uncertainty, of its
own position.
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-21

FORM YACHT CLUB
Mt. Royal Advocates of the Sport
Elect Officers.

For less than a year Charles w
Glaser, secretary OF the Regatta Com
n1ttee of the Ocean City Yacht Club OF
Ocean City, N j., and former commo-
dore OF the Pennsylvania Yacht Club
has been working like a Trojan TO get
the mon who reside In the town Of Mt.
Royal and elsewhere interested in yacht
ing Some had heard of the former com.
modore and listened. The word got
around and on Saturday the first race
of the club was held from Mt Royal to
Paulsboro and return, a distance Of eight
miles; nine boats started and their times
were taken. Yesterday the final contest
was held and the nine boats went over
the course In times ranging from "A
to SO minutes. On Saturday night after
a dinner. the enthusiasts were called to-
gether and the Mt Royal Yacht Club
formed. Thirty-four men were enrolled
and then the officers of the club were
elected. william J. Beattie. who has the
biggest cruiser on the river and Is the
most popular fellow. was chosen commo-
dore. The vice commodoreship was filled
BY Harr Morgan and honors of rear com
modore by John Smith. The secretary is
George w. Flavell and the treasurer is
Philip Meyers. Charles w. Glaser was
elected chairman of the Regatta Com
mittee and the representative to the AN
nual meeting Of the American Power
Boat Association. A board of directors of
fve members was elected The clubs will
make application for membership In the
Delaware River Yacht Racing Associa-
tion and the American Power Boat AS
soCIa ton,