Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-05-23
Says U. S. viii Not Demand
Foot of Territory as Result
of Disturbances.
SCOUTS THEORY PEOPLE
CANNOT GOVERN SELVES
Will Not Permit Exploitation Of
Country-Settlement Of Land
Question to Be Insisted Upon.

samnel G. Blythe, in the Saturday Evening rcsf
My ideal is an orderly and righteous
government in Mexico: but my passion
is for the submerged IS per cent Of the
people Of that republic. who are now
struggling toward liberty"
The President closed his fingers into a
snewy fist. He leaned forward IN his
chair-leaned forward as a man leans for
ward who is about to start on a race.
his body taut. his muscles tense. I cotld
see the cords stand out on the back Of
his neck. His eyes were narrowed. his lips
slightly parted, his vigor and earnestness
impressive.
Bang, lie hit the desk with that
clenched fist. The paper knife ratified
against the tray. and few open letters
stirred a bit from the jar of the blow.
Says Liberty Comes From Below.
Il challenge YOU" he said. ITO cite mo
an instance in all the history OF the
world where liberty was handed down
from above! Liberty always is attained
by the forces working below, underneath.
by the great movement of the people.
That, leavened by the sense Of wrong
and oppression and injustice, by the
brings freedom The President relaxed
from his tense attitude and smiled.
AS result of my conversation with
the President. which was on the evening
of April %, only few hours after word
had come that Huerta would accept the
offer of mediation made by the repre-
sentatives of Argentina, Brazil and Chile.
| can state these conclusions. which will
endure regardless Of the outcome OF
mediation negotiations The settled poll
cy of the President, In regard to Mexico,
will be as follows:
First-The United States, so long -
Mr. Wilson is President, will not seek
to gain a foot OF Mexican territory
We have finished with Mexico, Mexico
will be territorially intact
Second-No personal ACKNOWLEDGMENT
by American investors or Adventures
country. will be permitted. Legitimate
business interests that seek to develop
rather than exploit will be encouraged.
Third-A settlement Of the agrarfan
such as that followed in New Zealand,
for example-will be insisted on.
These are the materiaiistfc ideals OF
President Wilson. the main points he
policy will rest on these foundations
regardless of what the moment may
inject into the situation in the way Of
minor questions.
Individual Claims to Be Settled.
I'VE shall not demand a foot Of terri
tory nor cent of money-except. of
course. the settlement of such claims as
! may justly be made by American citi-
zens for damages to their property dur
ing these Observation-Disclosures claims
There will be no money demand in a ma
tional sense. Then We shall have shown
the entire world that the Monroe doc
trine means an unselfish friendship for
our neighbors-a disinterested friendship
| in the sense of not being interested in
| our aggrandiZement-and that our mo-
| tiveS are only the motives inspired by
the higher humanity, by our sense Of
duty and responsibility, and by our de-
| termination that human liberty shall pre-
vail in our hemisphere.
They say the Mexicans are not fitted
for self-government: and to this / reply
| that, when properly directed, there is no
| people not fitted for self-government. The
very fact that the extension of the school
| system by Diaz brought about a certain
degree of understanding among some Of
the people which caused them to awaken
| to their wrongs and to strive intelligently
for their rights makes that contention
absurd. do not hold that the Mexican
poems are at present as capable Of self
government as other people-ourA for ex-
ample; but do hold that the widespread
sentiment that they never will be and
never can be made to be capable Of self
government is as wickedly false as IT is
palpably absurd :"