New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-04-25
Deal with the Facts!

.,. nm ora dealing with facts" exclaimed FreSl
don't Wilson on Thursday, waving aside the top
loftical rhetoric and netting criticism OF his ohoc
great and good friend General Venustlano "ri""""
II was the retort of statesman 1rritateu oeo"u''
.o,.o, ,,rouares-ora dealer in unrealities who saw
ono more Of his air castles crumbling. Yet no" iui
-, unconscious irony it was! I'VE ere dealing Wlth
facts" 1t was practically the first ackno"leus-
ment from the White House in thirteen months 'n''
there were such things as facts to be dealt WIFI !"
the Mexican situation. The Presidents whole MeAi-
oon nocv has been based on a Sinking Of facts ana
n cultivation of self-created Illusions
Mr. Wilson is still extremely reluctant to race Tue
facts OF the Mexican situation. On Thursday orderS
were sent to the Mexican border towns 10 let ho
more arms or munitions of go across into Con
sttut,onaljst territory That afternoon Mr. wilson
rave out statement fatty denying the reimpostlon
Of the embargo on arms. The newspapers whicn
printed his statement also printed dispatches from
points on the Rio Grande about the intercepuon OF
sbinments of arms under orders from Washington
Later in the evening the official announcement was
made that the embargo had been restored. Inc
necessity for this measure of precaution was clear
vet the President was averse to recognizing 1t ana
only gave formal approval hours after the EN-
barge had been informally re-established.
1t was the same thing with the dispatch OF troops
from Galveston to Vera Cruz. The President held
out against it. He could hardly bring himself 10
see that reinforcement of troops at Vera Cruz was
essential if emergencies which might easily arise
were to be met intelligently and with the least
possibe cost of life to the American column of occu
patton.
The Presidents attitude is that of a man who
having got himself into difficulty, looks back
present one it is weakness to look back regret
fully TO what might have been. The right thing to
do is to look aheadto face the facts and to remem
Der that he who acts swiftly and vigorously in
quarrel usually acts mercifully.
II is not dealing with facts" for President Wilson
TO talk of further delays for the purpose of seeing
what Huerta will do or Carranza will do Real war
is so imminent now that it is idle to grasp at the
shadow of a successful settlement through measures
short of war" War might have been averted by
intelligent action weeks months ago. 1t is too late
to turn back now, and the whole energy Of the
administration should be concentrated on making
the struggle at hand az brief and decisive pos
sible. Face the facts! Spare waste of lives and
treasure by striking quickly and hard and trying to
develop at once the dimensions of the task ahead
of us!
All Of our wars have been wasteful because they
were fought slowly and inexpertly at the beginning.
Conditions are far better now than they were in
1898 at the outbreak Of the with Spain. We
have built a first class navy and have army
quadrupled in size and efficiency. 1t IS the part of
prudence and mercy to do what we have TO do
resoutely and promptly We owe it to foreign
nations to determine at whether block
aiding Mexican ports or not But it even
more to ourselves not to blink the realities Of our
own present relations with Huerta and with Mexico
President Wilson is pretty certain TO drop his flu
sons and deal with actuates In his reply TO Car
rama he said: Wherever and whenever the dignity
Of the United States is nouted, It's international
rights the rights of its citizens invaded or its
huence rebuffed where it has the right to attempt
10 exercise IT, this government deal with those
actually in control" What wonderful broadening
OF the position which he took in his message Con
c;ess last Monday. The Tribune said on Wednes
day that mot tomorrow, perhaps or the day after
would the administration recognize the superiority
of tho odpe prea mble over IT'S own narrower
statement Of the against Huerta. We were two
days off in count On Thursday the President
borrowed almost the words Of the Lodge preamble in
order TO instruct General Carranza as TO our duties
and purposes. Let us hope that in the development
o. our military programme Mr.. Wilson may make
equally startling progress in assimilatng and deal
ing with the facts.
The Cost of Animal Diseases.