The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1914-03-13
INT ERVENTiON WILL
NOT DO
ARMED

We ali recognize the AdGl Lndb lA@
tension between the United States
and Mexico is growing more aad more
acute, and as one or two British and
American subjects have been eAecut
ed. contrary TO what we -ega-d a.
the forms Of .1dicis. procedur il
gives food for the "jfngo.sts" 10 en-
deavor more so than ever to precipi
tate a war between the two countries.
But war will not restore the lives
OF the one o. two men that We fear
have been folly dealt with. and will
cause the sacrifice of hundreds of
other lives.
We do not mean by this that We
have any misgivings as to the result
of war with Mexico. for to go to war
with it would almost be like jumping
on a cripple.
When we went to war with thai
country in 1876 the Mexicans were a
united people, yet our armies met
with but a series of victories from
Vera Cruz to the very gates of the
City of Mexico.
General Grant, in his memoirs"
says that in witnessing the retreat of
these men, half clad and half armed,
on their miserably little half-starved
ponies. only excited commiseration
and pity.
The conditions today are entirely
different, however, from what they
were sixty-eight years ago. If we
were 10 send our army across the Rio
Grande the Mexicans would not meet
us in open battle, but If they should
do so, and we were to gain a series
OF signal victories over them, as we
did in our first war we could not re-
store peace by treating with Villa or
Carranza, because Huerta and his
forces would not agree to the COM
pact, and we could not treat with HUI
recognition, and if we did it would be
the same as treating with the other
faction, and a guerilla warfare be-
tween them would go on indefinitely
Hear what ex-President Taft says
on the subject:
Those of us who have had expert
ence in the tranquilizing of a tropical
country, with a people not very differ
ent from the Mexicans, who take nat
urally TO guerilla warfare, and who
would rather fight than work-that is,
would rather fight and run than work
know the difficulties that an army
would have 10 meet to accomplish
the only purpose that We would have
in going in, to-wit: the bringing about
OF law and order. 1t would involve
the garrisOning with a sufficient force
OF every town
1T would involve the organization
Of columns 10 chase the guerillas into
their mountain Businesses and across
trackless desert plains and the sub
jugation of $1,000 900 people. | don't
know when We would get through: l
don't know how many lives it would
involve: | don't know how much it
would cost; but do know it would be
drag upon us, and then when we
had gotten the thing done the future
would still be doubtful, and still be
charge and a burden upon our gov
eminent and upon our treasury. | do
not speak thus positively without
some knowledge of the subject. No
effort ought to be omitted to prevent
catastrophe like this"
There is no honor and no glory in
going to war with those half-savage,
half-civilized people, it matters not
how many victories we would gain
over them.
Patient waiting" is the only policy
to pursue, and though it is somewhat
irritating it is vastly better, vastly
more virtuous, 1t is following vastly
nose in the footsteps Of an uplifting
civilization, than in hunting them as
We would the beasts of the forest
and that is what it would amount to.
Our nation is prospecting. We are
enjoying peace and plenty. No Amer
lean or Englishman is staying in
Mexico except upon his own initiative,
volition and choice. We have invited
them to get out of the country, and if
they are not able TO do so for lack Of
finances we have offered to render
them financial aid
So there is no excuse for our sacri-
ficing lives aud property in fruitless
task to restore peace and tranquility
to a country that refuses all overtures
and whose people are determined to
fight out their own dsetiny in their
own way.
Let them do it!
w. S. West, Georgia's new U. S.