Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-04-22
American Troops Take Possession OF Vera Cruz--
American Loss Is -Four Killed and 20 Wounded

| President might have taken further
steps, but he has come to the body
which alone has power to declare war.
1 think he has done WE'LL
Spanish Resolution
Senator Williams asked how long it
took Congress to pass the Spanish res
olution.
Senator LaFollette replied that Con-
gress took from April IL to April 10 to
pass the resolution in 1898.
Members of the House filed into the
Senate chamber and crowded the rear
of the hall. Majority Leader Under
wood took a seat on the Democratic
side.
Senator Lodge took up the pending
resolution.
This resolution uses the word JUS
tify' instead of authorize he said
The result would be the same. This
resolution does not contemplate the
! declaration of war. The President in
his message disclaimed any hostility
toward the Mexican people. But this
resolution carried with it armed in
| tervention.
Intervention Like War
1.-THE consequences of armed inter-
vention are in many respects precise
| ly the same as war. But they present
a task less capable of speedy compile
tion less fertile in speedy glory of vic
tories won and may bring a long pc
riod of the exercise of what would be
the police power in a foreign country
involving vast expenditures, great loss
of life, perhaps, and after months and
possibly years, possibly only the salts
faction of feeling that we had brought
back peace and order and liberty to
distracted country"
Reviewing the Tampico incident,
Senator Lodge continued:
There is no doubt in my mind that
that incident at Tampico constituted
an insult to the American flag and the
American uniform. No nation can
| allow such an insult to pass unnoticed
1t is it's duty to seek proper atonement
and reparation. The form of such
atonement is universally recognized 1t
is a salute to the flag of the offended
nation. But that salute is a govern
mental action. All party lines dis
appear in the demand for amends for
such an insult and we all stand be-
hind the Presidents demand for atone
ment"
Cabinet Meeting Closes
The cabinet meeting broke up while
the Senate debate was one and Secre-
tary Tumulty and some of the cab
met members hurried to the Senate
chamber to hear the speeches.
Nothing new in the situation" was
the way Postmaster General Burleson
put it.
Senator Lodge resented any impu-
tations that the Republicans were
lacking in proper regard for the hon.
or of the flagg."
But we must also think of that
which the flag covers-the citizens of
the United States he said. Zone hum
dred and fifty citizens have persisted
on Mexican SOIL 1 cannot, in demand
ing atonement of the insult at Tam
pico, overlook these outrages. I cam
not pass these murders silently by
without saying that here is a greater
wrong to be atoned and a wrong which
must not be and shall not be re-
peated.
II cannot be put in position where
I appear to pick and choose between
| the factions that today tear Mexico
asunder. 1 cannot join in any resolu-
ton which puts the United States in
the position of preferring one muir
derer and cutthroat above another
murderer and cutthroat
No Criticism of President
II have no desire to criticize Pres
ident Wilson for his failure to recog-
nize Huerta. He no doubt proceeded
on grounds appearing to him as suffi-
cient. I condemn as strongly as /
can the methods of treachery and
bloodshed by which Huerta reached
his present position. But the fact that
/ condemn his methods does not lead
me to put myself in a position which,
by distortion of the acts which we
take here or of the words which we
utter here. would put me behind Viii
la-Villa, who began life as a hired
assassin and whose pathway has been
marked with bloodshed, rapine, plum
der and by unnameable crimes which
are disgrace to the country in which
we live. et,r x
'It is for that reason that the mi
nority of the committee on foreign
relations has presented the substitute
|
one sentence can be denied. Each is
melancholy truth"
Take Vera Cruz
The senator added that the first act
under the resolution would be the TAX
ing of Vera Cruz. I'VE are engaged
at this moment" he declared, low
ering his voice emotionally, mot only
in dealing with a question involving
the gravest responsibilities that can
confront the Congress, but, as not Of
ten happens We are participating in
a great historic action. The grounds
of our action here today will lie be-
fore the world and will come to the
tribunal of history.
IF we are to intervene in Mexico
at any point / want to lift it up from
the level of personal hostilities and
place it on the broad ground of
great national action taken in the in
terest and for the protection of Amer
lean lives in a foreign country and
for the purpose also of restoring peace
and order if we can