The Washington times., 1914-02-22
MEXICAN SITUATION
CRANER.

ferse that the man had threatened
him and at last attempted to assault
him. He submits that in causing
the death of Renton he was within
his rights under military law and
international custom.
In this technical defense Villa may
be right. If he is right, perhaps ii
makes very little difference, in the
legal aspects, whether the British
subject was executed after drum
head court-martiaI, or, as some of
Villas accusers declare, had his
face smashed in with the butt Of a
revolver in the hands of the infuri-
ated rebel chieftain and was then
shot down from the muZzle. If Viii
las life really was endangered by
the British subject-doubtless the
whole truth will never be known
Villa can make out, in this pa-ticU-
lar instance, something of 4 case for
himself.
Anyhow, though Villa is generally
credited on both sides of the Rio
Grande river with being a voracious
thief and a lawlcss brute, the Ameri-
can people, if they had the chance,
would not want to condemn him I'M
heard and hang him untried. He
may have murdered Benton in cold
hlocd-cold-blooded murder of un-
armed men in Mexico is an every
day occurrence in every camp Of
bandits and soldiers both. The acr
may have been cowardly, warton,
and british, and yet, until they
have the facts, or as much Of the
facts as can be obtained, Americans
would want to withhold final juGg-
ment on Villa.
But this doesn't alter the fact that
robbery and outrage and murder
against foreign citizens have become
a pastime in Mexico for the armed
followers of any chieftain, whether
Huerta, Carranza, Villa, Zapata, or
any of the rest of them.
1t doesn't alter the TACT that the
powers of Europe will not tolerate
the pillage and torture and slaughter
of their subjects in Mexico as the
American Government, while fechly
protesting, has tolerated the pillage
and torture and slaughter Of Ameri-
can subjects.
1t doesn't alter the fact that the
American people, while they have not
wanted intervention and invasion OF
our Government in Mexico unless it
became necessary, will not forever
stand for those Mexican brutalities
and will not for one minute stand
for any possible attempt by foreign
powers to go into Mexico and do
what this country has failed to do.
This is what makes the Mexican
situation today more serious thar it
has ever been since Huerta assassi-
mated Madero, SCI up despctisni
and started to slit the throats Of
those opposed TO his rule. 1t is
serious whether Villa had to shoot
Benton down at his feet in self
defense or whether he just wantonly
and savagely murdered him because
Benton's protest against being
robbed threw him into q rage. II is
serious because, technical iustifica-
tion or not, military code or 10 code,
international precedent or none at
all, this particular business has
brought to a head the rapine and
the killines-killings of men, killings
of women, killings of baDes-now
rampant and Unsuitable in ferocity
all over Mexico.
1t is always some one ching like
that, when hideous situation such
as Mc&ico'S has come TO head,
which serves to burst 1t wide open.
Whether Benton deserved what he
got or didn't deserve il, it is d dead
moral certainty that within a very
short while the Mexicans themselves
10th the federa!s and the rebcls-
will throttle their massacres of for
eigners or this will be done for them
from beyond the boundaries Of their
boiling anarchy.