The Parma herald. (Parma, Idaho) 1903-1917, 1914-05-21
MEDIATION TO FAIL
EX-PTtSidtnt Taft Has Little Faith
In Peace Proposals.
Blanes Administration for GiUing
Rebels Aid - Var ''In SerU-
ice of Mankind" Justified.

New York - William Howard Taft
gave his views on the Mexican situa-
tion Sunday in an address at the Free
Synagogue's celebration of Peace Sun
day.
While the ex-President expressed
little hope that the pending mediation
conference would accomplish its imme-
date purpose, he asserted that the
offer of mediation and its acceptance
constituted an important step toward
the future settlement of international
disputes in the Western hemisphere.
He said there was no popular pres
sure for a military policy which the
administration could not resist. He
said the people were determined to do
their duty, even should that duty in
volve war. But for war, he added,
the people had little enthusiasm.
The criticism Mr.. Taft leveled at
the Wilson administration had to dc
with the aid which, he said, the adj
ministration had given to the Mexican
rebels.
I'm my judgment, he said, eff il
our course towards Mexico during the
past year we had not exerted such di
rect influence as we have to aid one Of
the contending parties, we should moi
now be so near general Intervention
and war"
In conclusion he called on all Ameri
cans to aid the President in his effort!
to find peace.
Threatened war between two stable
nations is much easier to deal will
than such condition as confronts us
in Mexico" he said.
"What we have there to contend
with is the disease of revolution
Eighty per cent of the people are ig
norant and illiterate. A three-years
war has laid waste the country, de
stroyed its industry and exposed al
foreigners to lawless violence and al
their investments there to destruction
In such a case a neighboring natio
may properly intervene and help tn
forces of law and order to end sue
anarchy just because it wishes to liv
in quiet neighborhood.
''But if we are to be involved i
war because of Mexican anarchy, lie
us have it fully understood that we G
into it 'in the service of mankind a
the President phrases it, and not upo
the issue of a mere punctilio in navs
ceremonial. Let US not enter light
} or unadvisedly upon a course that wi
involve sacrifice the extent of whic
may well make us pause.
eve have, say, $4,000 mobil
troops of the regular army fit to tax
! the field in Mexico. If the availab
military forces of Mexicans traine
and made hardy by three-years' W;
were to be massed against our troop
we should need a much larger for,
; than we now have to capture the lare
strategic inland towns. After we hs
captured them and dispersed the arr
les, the forces against US would ado
system of guerrilla warfare. tt
, best expert estimate of the force r
: quired by us to garrison the necessal
towns, suppress guerrilla warfare al
tranquilize the country is 400, OF
men, and it is said that this would tai
two or three years, and involve an e.
. penditure of 81, 900, 900 day.
. cit would be a dead pull whit
would wear the patience of the matte
q and in which the few lives lost in ea
: battle would total large and wou
grow less and less tolerable as Il
dreary contest went on Disease
!. that country would thin our ran
more than bullets.
: ''Then, after having lost thousan
of lives and expended a treasu
4 double that which it has cost us
y give to the world the Panama can;
= we would have on our hands a host
= Mexican people, without any gratitu
for our sacrifices.