The Washington times., 1914-06-02
THE CARRANZA ULTl-
MATUM.

GcScr I'D as Il Semi-oni clat state
ment, appears Ia he addressed To the
prefs rather than to the American
Government. This obscurity about
its origin, and the resultant uncer-
tainty as to how far the Carranza
authorities would, in a pinch, go to
support its representation of their
position, makes it difficult to discuss
the new situation with assurance.
But the note is about what might
rea sonably have been expected from
any self-respccting authority so well
established as that of the constitu-
tionalists. They take the position
that they are conquerors, who at the
end of a successful! revolution pro-
pose to determine issues in their own
way. The right of revolution being
placed at the foundation of social
organization, there is not much
ground for objection to this. They
don't need outside assistance, they
announce. in settling the agrarian
question. There is touch of sus-
ricion and bitterness is the sugges-
ton that, among the mediators, the
only people who understand the Mex
lean land question are those who rep
resent countries where that very
question remains unsettled, and who
would be opposed to such a settle
ment as the people Of Mexico demand
and need. This is the very identical
view that The Times has at various
occasions put forth. Latin-America
in general mas the land question on
its hands, a problem inherited from
the days of Spanish rule, coming
down as a hereditamcnt OF Spanish
institutions, which regarded the
wealth of the country as the legiti-
mate prey of the masters. What
Spanish-institutioned country has
taken a more social view of the land
question than this? How can such a
view be expected to settle the situa-
ton in Mexico?
The problem of the land and its
use on something like fair and equal
terms by the people for whom God
made it, is no1 confined, indeed TO
the countries which have tried to SD
perimFosc republican forms Oh Span
i:h foundations That question is
Just as much alive ard insistent in
Great Britain as in Mexico, and the
rapid increase of tenant farming in
this country is the proof that We
have prospect of facing it, though in
modified form, in a future not so
very distant.
The Carranza administration,
pointing out that it is near the con-
summation of its struggle in a con-
elusive victory, announces that it is
going 10 settle its problem IN its own
way. Successful revolutions have
always been given to that notion. !
The French revolutionists had to !
cope with "mediation" which took the !
form of intervention by the coalition 3
of European powers. The eNiled aris- !
tocracy appealed 10 the other coun-
tries to restore them to their privi-
legcs, and the other countries, fear
full of the spread OF the French spirit
of democracy, accepted the invita-
ton. EuroDe was drcached in blood
for generation; and let it ne kept
clearly in mind that at the bottom .
of it all was the land question in
France; The question whether the
state might give the people a fair
chance at the use Of the land which .
the cientifcos OF the old aristocracy
claimed was their own, to do with,
to use or not to use. as they pleased.
Victorious revolution, when back !
ed by the real sentiment of 4 deter
mined people, is sure to resent inter-
ference that looks to modify the re-
suits # the victory Suppose that
just after Ycrktown Il mediation
plan had been proposed by France,
Prussia, and Russia. and suppose
that Great Britain and the tory party
in the colonies mad undertaken TO
settle, with the help Of mediators,
the question Of government and 4
set of social Institutions for the
country which cooked tos Washington
and h.s associates as its defenders
and liDeratcrs. With how much en-
thuiasm would the colonies have sub
mItted themse to that sort of a
plan? Yet the parable. with present
day conditions in Mexico is not DIFF !
iicult to note. Or if European pow
crs had undertaken TO mediate he
tween Union and ConfeGcracy or the
rye of AppomattoN-hcw would the
North have regarded that proposal?
Is it to be ASSUMED that Mr.. Sew
arc would have been particularly
more continent and restrained in his
note of declinati1n, than the Car
.anza authorities are in this unoffi-
rial statement?
1t is not much wonder that the
.onStitutionaliStS .Irn SuSniciouS of a