The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1914-04-04
President of Academy of Political
and Social Science Criti-
cizes Policy
WILL NOT SOLVE DIFFICULTY
Declares Constitution of Mexico
Is UnWorkabIe and Ought Not
to Be Enforced

| Iullddtlpnlsi Apll addressing
the American Academy of Political and
Social Science here today, Or L. :.
Rowe, president of that organization
and professor Of political science in the
University OF Pennsylvania. said
We cannot expect solution Of the
present difficulty as long as the presi-
dent OF the,United States continues his
policy of attempting to subject the
! president of Mexico to the scorn and
the condemnation of the civilized
world"
Ills topic was The Scope and Linn
its Of our Obligations Toward Mex
leo" These ne defined roughly as
insistencc upon order i'm the ncighbor-
ing state and hclpfulness 10 that end.
The idea that the United States
should become sponsor and champion
OF constitutional government i'm Mex
leo as set forth i'm President Wilson's
message of December .. 1913 he tcrm-
ed inspiring" but "untenable"
Mexico's Constitution Unworkable.
However unwilling we may be to
accept the situation it is nevertheless
a fact that the present constitution Of
Mexico is unworkable, and any attempt
on the part of an outside power 70
force her To operate it is in reality con-
demning the country to anarchical con-
ditions' he declared:
The serious student of Mexico can
have no sympathy with the view that
Mexico must have an arbitrary. tyran-
nical central government. ruthless an
its methods and unmindful Of the per-
sonal rights Of the inhabitants. There
is a wide difference between strong,
centralized, unified government and a
tyrannical government In fact, the
real situation i'm Mexico is that the
weaker the central government the
more the poor, unprotected Indian is
made 10 suffer from the tyranny, the
abuse and the corruption of local polit-
ical leaders and subordinate admins
trative officials.
In any estimate Of Mexican politi-
cal conditions, it must always be borne
in mind that We are dealing with ma
tion essentially Indian in it's cthnic
makeup. and I'm which the percentage
Of illiteracy is probably i'm excess IF
ninety per cent
The sentiments expressed by Presi-
dent Wilson in his message are dictat-
ed by a lofty idealism, but it is an
idealism which bears no direct or or
ganic relation To the present needs and
the present possibilities of Mexico. The
intent. no doubt, was 10 formulate
policy helpful i'm Mexico, but when
tested 10y the actual conditions of po-
litical life, the application of the con-
sttutional standards contained i'm this
message can have but one result.
namely to condemn the country to "A
prolonged period of anarchy, the out
come Of which must be either the COM
plete disappearance of every vestige of
civilization or the armed Intervention
OF the United States to preserve the
remnants which still exist.
while it is utterly futile and en-
tirely beyond our national or ntcrnd-
tional obligation To insist upon any
particular type of constitutional gov
crnment in Mexico, it is our manifest |
duty to insist on the re-establishment
OF order, and To do everything consis- /
tent with a respect for Mexican dig !
nifty and sovereignty To contribute to- |
ward that end.
DepIores international Boycott.
There is but one course which is |
f,
of the United States. and which at the
same time is consistent with the hol-
or, the dignity and the integrity CfI
Mexico. This policy does not involve |
the necessity of The formal recognition |
of the Huerta government. but it does |
mean immediate removal of the inter-
national boycott which we have de-
cIarcd against the constituted govern
ment of Mexico city.
The events of the last few months
have shown that the government 81
Mexico city is the only one that pos.
sesses any of the elements of national
and international responsibility and 10
becomes. therefore. our solemn duty 10
refrain from policy calculated TO
cripple the only authority worthy OF
the name. Unless we are prepared To-
take this position, we must assume the
responsibility for the condition of an
lrchy TO which We condemn the coun-
try. We must furthermore re-estab-
Iish the embargo on the expectation Of
arms and ammunition.
The lifting of the embargo has
served To- strengthen the insurgent
and has practically made
,ur southern frontie- a base of opera,
ions against the constituted govern
ncnt Of Mexico. We are thus contri-