The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-01-15
THE THIRTY YEARS WAR AND
MExICO'S.
An Historical Parallel


To THE EDITOR or The suN-s6: In
everything except It's cause the civI
war in Mexico has closely paraiieico
the Thirty Years War. 1t 10 . 5000 OK.
ample Of history repeating itsclf' ana
the long interval between tho TWO con-
fiicts only makes the similarity more
interesting.
The Thirty Years War was 20 terri
bic. endless and hopeless because. as
has been the case DO far In Mexico. none
of the contestants had suflicient power
to conduct q general and decisive cam
paign or to defeat It's adversaries COM
pletely. While an army was obtaining
the mastery Of one region new force
Of It's enemies was being formed In an
other. compelling the victor 10 abandon
the offensive and assume defensive
which was often unsuccessful.
Under these conditions Of extreme
vicissitude the armies degenerated rap
Idly, and the warfare became inhuman
and was chiefly characterized by rob-
berry, wanton destruction. torture, muir
der and crimes against women. None
of the armies was or could be free from
these faults, although the Swedes were
comparatively 20 until the death OF Gus
tavus.
These conditions are now being al
most geographically reproduced In
Mexico. which has a population pecu-
liarly fitted to perpetuate them. A
writer who probably is we'll informed
states that many authors OF works on
criminology are agreed that there are
proportionately more criminals among
Mexicans than among any other nation
living under an organized form Of gov
eminent. History shows few wor se
monsters than Zapata and villa.
The Thirty Years War ended because
the resources of Germany were ex-
hausted and there was nothing left to
support an army. A large majority OF
It's people had persisted. and II was moro
than a century before II recovered from
the effects OF the war.
The question that interests the peo-
pie OF the United States Is how far the
Mexican parallel with the Thirty Years
War Is to be prolonged. Ex-senator
Chandler. who still seems sure that II
IL his mission to solve all the worlds
problems. has declared that the barba-
rous carnage among the Mexicans makes
further delay Of positive action by the
United States unjustifiable. He appears
to suspect that "watchful waiting" will
prove to be only a translation into 1914
! English OF the mastery inactivity"
which. some strategists say. prolonged
our civil war by three years.
The public, with the exception Of Mr..
Chandler, are less interested In the
Mexicans' troubles than they are In the
protection OF Americans and other for
cigners in Mexico. European Govern
ments have postponed the fulfiment of
| their duty to protect their subjects in
Mexico in the expectation that the Uni
ted States would act for them. II they
grow impatient and undertake to pro-
| coed for themselves the effort to avoid
intervention may lead to other inter-
national difficulties.
The elimination Of Huerta would be
only step. and from present appear
ances would substitute for him a leader
who has committed many crimes like
the one of which Huerta IL suspected
and OF which he avows his intention to
perpetrate more. Americans are anx-
lous TO see what their Governments at
titude will be II Villa and constitutional
brigandage come into their own"
| WALLENsTEIN.
| WASHINGTON, January IA.