The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-05-18
TAFT LAUDS WILSON'S
ATTITUDE IN MEXICO
II War Comes Tt Will Be tTn
Mankind's Service"
lie Says.
HOPEFUL FOR MEDIATION
Ex-Presidcnt Regrets Aid Given
to One Of COntcnding
Parties.

Ex-rresident Taft. speaking IN "ir.
national Peace" at a Peace Sunda, moot.
ing IN the Free Synagogue at Carnegie
Hall yesterday morning, came ont in
equvocally I'm favor OF the Adminls,ra.
tons Mexican policy and said I, was m,
duty OF the American people 10 hold M
the hands of President Wilson IN hi.
effort 10 bring about an honorable end ~
a complicated situation.
"Jf We are to be involved I'm war he
cause of Mexican anarchy" he said Get
US have 1t fully understood that We e.
into il in the service OF mankind as the
President phrases II, and not uron tins
issue OF mere punctillo in naval cere.
monial."
ON the other hand. Mr. Taft thought
that II In our course toward Mexico W.
had not exerted such a direct influence
to aid one OF the contending parties this
Government would not now he ~ near
general Intervention and war, nor would
We have been so responsible for law and
order In the event that q new governmcu
comes into power through our influence.
Before the meeting It was rumored tha'
l. W. W. agitators would break up the
service in an attempt 10 speak from tho
same platform as the ex-President RabhI
Stephen :. Wise, his assistant. Rabb
Goldstein. and number OF ushcrs had
heard OF II. When the service began
Rabbi Wise stepped forward and said II
there were any men or women III tn
audience who wanted TO speak he would
welcome them to the stage aud ask IN"
Indulgence OF the congregation.
"If there he any Interruption he said
81 trust the person wishing TO be heard
will interrupt mo and not tho dis
tinEuished and welcome guest OF the hour
There will be- no arrests and no person
will he elected My people and ] are MOI
afraid Of the truth
There was "a few minutes silence, but
not "A voice was heard. Rabbi Wise then
suggested that II any person wanted I"
speak he ar she should hand note to an
usher There was another interval or
silence. but the ushcrs were not ai'-
proachcd and had not received note a
the end of the services.
oscar s. Straus introduced Mr. Tar
who said in part:
with our dreadnoughts and our 9th.
battleships assembled at Tampico, Yer
cruz and MaZatlan, with 5000 or more eel
our regular army in possession of MeNi'a'
city. and with the rest Of our available
force assembling at convenient strategy
points for possible further invasion %.
Mexican territory, Il may occur to som
that It is not appropriate To have % iesc
Sunday or To hold peace meeting. i"
those OF US however, who hope that
may not be involved In further waifih'
activity or in actual war there could h'
no time more fitting for an expression OF
that hope This is not "A time for wislI-
ing that the past had been otherwise bu.
for candor and IA clear understanding %
the situation.
"A npr Hpr ne q .ss
will seem reasonable only when We max"
Il clear that We are not blind to- vNistius
conditions with difference to the view
of others. II Is my Judgment that IL iu
our course toward Mexico during the las
year we had not eXcrtcd such direct iE-
lucnco as We have 20 aid one OF i"'
contendng parties we would not now De-
SO near general int rVcution and war
$50 much think I should say In order
that may not be misunderstood. But No
FOR this reason can l or any one VIII
agrees with me in this fan 20 approx
and applaud every effort that our Cover.
nent can make and is making TO svoll
Intervention and further conflict.
"a three years war has laid waste thu
country. destroyed its industry and expose
all foreigners resident in the country 20
lnw,rss violence and all their investment
there to destruction. 1t has. In fact. bc-
come an International nuisance.
"In such a case n neiGhborlnr natlo1
may properly intervene and help n.
forces of law and order to end such
anarchy. just because Il wishes to live
in a quiet neighborhood and not from
spirit OF conquest and greed of territUr;
There are 100000 people IN MeSco
Much OF the population IL in the tropic'
There are 100000 square miles. Large
parts are trackless deserts large parts
are difficult mountain ranges: large paris
are tropical jungle and forest. We have.
say. $4,000 mobile troops OF the regular
army fit to take the field In Mexico. v
the available military force OF men trained
and made hardy by the wars that have
been going on in Mexico for the last three
years were to he massed against our
troops we should need much large
force than We now have 10 capture thH
larger strategic inland towns.
After we have captured them and d.
persed the armies the forces against W
would adopt n system Of guerrilla warfare
That Is easy 10 carry on and dlfhcult ~
suppress in such country. The best cN-
merit estimate Of the force required 10
capture and garrison the necessary towns
suppress guerrilla warfare and r&nqul,
lie the counNy is 100000 men, ana y ~
said that this would take two or fhrec
years and involve AN expenditure o.
81 600, 600 a day.
1.-THE visest course for - 20 pursue u
the duty Is before us of suppressing an
nrchN in Mexico would he 10 blocka1e
all the Mexican ports because the military
weakness OF the country IL not IN lac"
Of hardy men but In lack OF military su,'
plies and food provision. IT We toulu w
content TO take the seaports and hlochaHc
the country until we could make rcAs'1-
able preparation for the task, then Nnr.
ready for action we could do the WORK a,
the least cost Of life and time and money.
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