The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1914-04-05
OUR OBLIGATIONS
TOWARD MEXICO
ADDRESS BY PRESIDENT ROWE
BEFORE ACADEMY OF POLlTlC-
AL SCIENCE.

and professor of political science in
the university of Pennsylvania, said:
I'VE 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"
His topic was "The Scope and Lin
its of Our Obligations Toward Mex.
CO." These he defined roughly as in
sistence upon order in the neighbor-
ing state and helpfulness to that end.
The idea that the United States
should become sponsor and champion
of constitutional government in Mex
leo as set forth in President Wilson's
message of December, 1913, he term
ed "inspiring," but "untenable.'
"Howcyer unwilling we may be to
accept the situation, it is nevertheless
a fact that the present constitution OF
Mexico is unworkable, and any at
tempt on the part of an outside power
to force her TO operate ii Is in reality
condemnlng the country to anarchical
conditions" 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 in
its methods and unmndful 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 in Mexico is that the
weaker the central government, the
more the poor, unprotected Indian is
made to suffer Gor the tyranny, the
abuses and The corruption of local po-
.i,ical leaders and subordinate admin
istrative officials,
"In any estimate of Mexican polit-
zeal COHulIOnS, II must away ~
borne in mind that we are dealing
with a nation essentially Indian in its
ethic makeup, and in which the per-
centage OF illiteracy is probably in
excess OF ninety per cent.
The sentiments expressed by pres
ident Wilson in his message are die.
tated by lofty idealism, but 1T is an
| idealism which bears no direct or or
| ganic relation to the present needs
and the present possibilities of MeXi-
co but when tested by the actual
conditions of political life, the applica-
ton of the constitutional standards
! contained in his message can have
but one result, namely to condemn
the country to a prolonged period OF
anarchy, the outcome of which must
be either the complete disappearance
of every vestige of civilization, or the
armed intervention Of the United
States to presere the remnants which
| still exist
while it is utterly futile and en-
trely beyond our national or inter
national obligations to insist upon any
| particular type of constitutional gov
ernment in Mexico, it is our manifest
duty to insist on the re-establishment
or order. and 10 do everything con
sistent with a respect for Mexican
dignity and sovereignty to contribute
toward that end.
There is but one course which is
in harmony with the national interests
of the United States, and which at the
same time is consistent with the hon
or. the dignity and the integrity OF
Mexico. This policy does not involve
| the necessity of the formal recogn%
tion of the Iiucrta government, but il
does mean immediate removal of the
international! boycott which We have
declared against the constituted gov
ernment of Mexico City.
The events of the last few months
have shown that the government OF
! Mexico City is the only one that pos
sesses any OF the elements of nation
al and international responsibility, and
! it becomes. therefore our solemn du
ty to 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
anarchy to which We condemn the
country. We must furthermore re-es
tablish the embargo on the eXporta
tion of arms and ammunition.
The lifting of the embargo has
served to strengthen the insurgen'
movement, and has practically made
our southern frontier a base of op
erations against the constituted gov
ernment of Mexico. We are thus con
tributing not only to the perpetuatior
of a condition of anarchy. but to tn,
| ] % IL.