The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1914-12-12
Friendly to an "Adventurer."

act of interference of the most pro-
nounced type. At the same time he
and Mr.. Bryan looked on with folded
arms and without a protest of any
kind while American citizens we're
murdered or robbed or shamefully
maltreated in all parts of Mexico by
| the different sets of banditti who mas
queraded as soldiers of the different
| factions. He maintained for a long
time q friendly intercourse with one
set of political adventurers through
irregularly appointed diplomatic
agents, and he adopted an openly Of
fensive attitude toward the chief of
another set, although he was then the
de facto head of whatever government
Mexico had. BY this action in permit
ting the transmission of arms over the
border President Wilson not only ac-
lively aided the insurrection but un-
doubtedly furnished it with the means
essential to it's triumph, while at the
same time his active interference pre-
vented Huerta from organizing an eff
| fective resistance. His defenders al
forbidden the transmission of arms to
the reVolutionaries across the border
The answer is that he did forbid it at
intervals. He thereby showed that he
was taking an active interest in the
arming of the revolutionaries, that he
permitted it when he chose to do so
and stopped it internationally when
ever he thought it best to stop it, and
was therefore entirely responsible for
it.
The nominal rights which the con-
tending factions championed, and the
actual and hideous wrongs done by all
of them, were in no sense our affair
save in so far as Americans and other
foreigners were maltreated. We may
individually sympathize, as for in
stance, / personally do, with the gen.
eral purpose of the program for divi-
sion of the lands among the Mexican
cultivators, announced by CarranZa,
Villa and other revolutionary leaders;
but this no more justified interference
on our part than belief in the wisdom
of the single tax for the United States
by some foreign ruler would warrant
his interference in the internal affairs
of the United States. Moreover, moth
ing in the career of Carranza and Villa
or in the conduct of the Mexican peo-
pie at present justifies us in any GER
tainty that this program will in any
real sense be put into effect.
Act Made Us Responsible.
However, the interference took place.
By the course President Wilson pur-
sued toward Huerta and by the course
he pursued toward Villa and Carran-
"a, he actively interfered in the in
ternal affairs of Mexico. He actively
sided with the factions which ultimate
| ly triumphed-and which Immediately
split into other factions which are now
no less actively engaged in fighting
one another. Personally, do not think
that the administration should have
interfered in this manner. But one
thing is certain. When the admins
tration did interfere, it was bound to
accept the responsibility for it's acts.
1t could not give any aid to the revo-
lutionaries without accepting CORE
spending share of responsibility for
their deeds and misdeeds. 1t could not
aid them because of their attitude on
the land question without also assum-
ing corresponding share of responsi-
bility for their attitude toward religion
and toward the professors of religion.
The United States would have had no
responsibility whatever for what was
done to the church by any faction
which did not owe its triumph to ac-
ton by the United States. But when
the United States takes part in civil
war in Mexico, as Messrs. Wilson and
Bryan forced our government to take
part, this country has thereby made
itself responsible for the frightful
wrong-doing, for the terrible outrages
committed by the victorious revolu-
tionists on hundreds of the religious
people of both sexes.
The coIoneI's Position.
To avoid the chance of anything but
willful misrepresentation, let me en-
phasize my position. | hold that it
was not our affair to interfere one way
or the other in the purely internal af.
fairs of Mexico, SO far as they affected
only Mexican citizens; because if the
time came when such interference was
absolutely required it could only be
justified if it was thorough-going and
effective Moreover, hold that it was
our clear duty to have interfered
promptly and effectively on behalf oi
American citizens who were wronged
instead of behaving as President Viii
| son and Secretary Bryan actually die
behave. To our disgrace as a nation
they forced American citizens to claim
) and accept from British and German
officials and officers the protection
: which our own government failed tt
: give When we did interfere in Mex
: lean internal affairs to aid one faction
/ we thereby made ourselves responsible
for the deeds of that faction and W.
r have no right to try to shirk that re
7 sponsibility. Messrs. Wilson and Bryan
l have declined to interfere to protec
i the rights of Americans or of othe
r foreigners in Mexico. But they havt
e interfered as between the Mexican
!, themselves in the interest of one fac
4 ton and with the result of placin!
r THAT faction in power. They have there