Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1914-12-09
OUR MEXICAN POLICY.
democratic Paper Points Out Its
Futiffty.
lNcw YORK. World. Democratic. /

lNeu York World, Democratic.l
urha withdrawal OF our forces from Vera
eng is spoken of as an evacuation.
a,,ictIy speaking, 1t was an abandonment.
ws did not deliver the town to any body.
We simply marched out and sailed away.
whatever factionsl army Is nearest at
sspd will seize the place. Ii two or more
hapds OF partisans chance to be In the
nsighborhood, they will fight for 1t.
Assuming that there ever was q suf.
scient reason for our occupation OF the
Mexican seaport, how can Its relinquish-
men, now be explaiuedf
We entered Vera Cruz by way of Tam
,,eo. where, April 10 last, a boats crew
from the United States ship Dolphin was
arrested and thrown into police station.
We entered Vera Cruz also by way OF
the enlarged Monroe Doctrine. for to keep
european powers out Of American broils,
we had to go bail for the Mexicans.
We entered Vera Cruz, Furthermore, be-
csuse we knew that two or three German
sbips with arms and ammunition were
nearing that port.
We entered Vera Cruz, finally, as Presi-
asnt Wilson has said on two memorable
occasions-- once in his address to Congress,
April 20 last, and again in his eulogy OF
our dead at Vera Cruz in New York, May
70 last-"to serve mankind, II we can find
out the way"
when, in response to orders from Wash
iugton fully sanctioned by Congress, Ad-
nirai Fletcher took possession OF Vera
Cruz, April q, he killed more than one
hundred inha bitants and lost about twen-
~ OF his own men. The landing resulted
primsriIy from the refusal OF Gen. Huerta
to salute our dag In reparation for the
Tampico incident. Gen. Funston relieved
Admiral Fletcher OF command April 30.
April Is, Brazil, Argentina add Chile
had offered mediation which we had ac-
cspted The various commissioners
met at Niagara Falls, May IS. Although
we at first insisted upon having a voice
In the settlement of Mexico's domestic
troubles, we finally, June q, signed
protocols providing not only that the
selection OF provisional and con-
stitutionsl president be left wholly to
the Mexicans, and guaranteeing our rec
IGNITION OF these officers when lchosen,
but we subscribed to the pledge that
,.the government OF the United States
will not, in any form whatsoever, claim
war indemnity or other international
satisfaction" from Mexico. By this en-
gagement we wiped out the indignity to
the flag at Tampieo.
AZ o ha ahf ira 4 rxfp
and Bavaria, loaded with ammunition of
war for Gen. Huerta, finding conditions
ct Vera Cruz unsatisfactory, made for the
hsrbor of Puerto Mexico, where they dis
charged their cargoes. We had not seized
that port as we had Vera Cruz and no one
at Washington ever suggested its seizure.
By that negligence we nuilified all that
had been done in practical military way
at Vera Cruz.
We come now to the larger interna-
tional aspects OF the case. Gen. Huerta
fed July Is and was succeeded by Gen.
Carbajal, who also fed when Gen. Car
RAMA appeared, Aug. 15, and Gen. Car
rama fed few days ago when Gen.
Gutierrez, named by the convention, came
upon the scene, and Gen. Gutierrez Is now
missing, with Gen. Blanco in command,
and the one hope Of stability is in
Gen. Villa. We still have ships
a. Vera Cruz. but as Gen. Funston IS
transports vanish, what must be the feel
ings Of foreigners in the City Of Mexico
who have depended upon US for protec-
ton?
Sometimes questioning and doubling,
The World has approved President VIII
sons Mexican policy at every step be-
cause it hoped and believed that that pol
Icy was making powerfully for peace.
Its strongest guarantee OF peace was sin
cerity. Its next strongest guarantee of
peace was the possession OF Vera Cruz.
After long months OF wstchful waiting
we have abandoned our sincerity, and
we have abandoned Vera Cruz without
accomplishing one of our purposes.
The flag has not been saluted. There
Is no assurance of peace. Except for
our naval forces we are in no position to
fulfill our engagements with foreign
powers. Setting out to establish con-
stitutional government In Mexico, we
are leaving Mexico to Its own resources
at time when its internal affairs are
more chaotic than they were when We
interfered with them.
Have We served the Mexicsns9 Have
we served ourselves? Have we served