El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-12-05
BY THEODORE ROOSEVELT
7Ormer President o. the United States.

friendly intercourse with one set OF
political adventurers through lrregu-
larly appointed diplomatic agents ana
he adopted an openly offensive aILl-
tude toward the chief Of another set,
although he was then the de 1acto mead
Of whatever government Mexico had
By his action in permitting the
transmissiO of arms over the border.
president Wilson not only actively aided
the instruction but undoubtedly fur
nished it with the means essential to its
triumph, while at the same time his &C
tive interference prevented Huerta
from organizing an effective resist
ance His defenders allege that he
could not properly have forbidden the
transmission of arms to the revolution
aries across the border.
The answer is that he did forbid 1t
at intervals. He thereby showed that
I he was taking an active interest in
the arming Of the revOlutiOnaries, that
he permitted it when he chose to do
so and stopped il internationally when
ever he thought it best to stop it, and
was therefore entirely responsible
Not Our flair.
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 Tar as Americans and other
foreigners were maltreated
We may individually sympathize, as,
for instance, I personally do, with the
general purpose Oh LuE program ADA
division of the lands among the Mexi-
can cultivatOrs, announced by Carran-
"a. Villa and other revolutionary lead
ers; but this no more luSuIled inter
ference on our part than belief in the
wisdom of the single tax for the J1lleg
States by some foreign ruler WoA-g
warrant his interference IN the lnI5ILlaA
affairs of the United states more
| over nothing in the career OF Carranz4
and Villa or in the conduct OF the
J Mexican people at present JustlIles "
in anv certainty that this program
will in any real sense be put into
I effect.
Why This Country Is Responsible.
However the interference took place
By the course president w lison p ~
sued toward Huerta and by the course
he PURSUED toward Villa and Carrahza'
he actively inter1ered IN the lhtsIlt-t -
I affairs of Mexico He actively slueu
( with the factions which uItlIn3t ~.
| triumphed-and which Immediately
/ spIit into other factions which are now
| no less actively engaged IN hghtlns one
/ another. 49,. 49,.
Personally, I do not think that the
! administration should have lntertered
( in this manner. But one thing Is Ger
] When the administration did inter
/ fere, it was bound to accept the respon-
] sibility for its acts. 1t could not give
/ anv aid to the revOlutionarles wlthouG
| accepting a corresponding snare OF
/ resi- Onsibility for their deeuS anu his
1 deeds. 1t could not aid them because OF
! their attitude on the land Quesl!
! without also assuming a corresE ondlng
I share Of responsibility Tor their aJtl-
! tude toward religion and toward lh5
| professors Of religion
| The United States would have nad
| no responsibility whatever Tor WnaL
[ was due to the church by any 1actioIl
! which did not owe its triumph 70 dctIVl-
! by the United States But when the
/ United States takes part in civil war
/ in Mexico, as Messrs. Wilson ana Bry IN
! forced our government TO take Far :
l this country has thereby made ltseiL
| responsible for the frightful wrong
I doing. for the terrible Ourrages COM
! mftted by the victorious revOluuonlsIs
| on hundreds of the religious people OF
! both sexes.
Saws Wilson Aided InsurrectiOn.
To avoid the Cnance Of anything but
| wilful Misrepresentation, let me e.
I uhasize my position. L hold that it was
! not our affair to interfere one way or
the other in the purely internal aILalIS
| of Mexico. so far as they affected only
| Mexican citizens; because if the time
I came when such interference was abso-
! lutely required it could only be justified
if it was thorough going and elective
/ Moreover. / hold that it was our clear
( duty to have interfered promptly and
/ effectively on behalf of American citi-
/ zens who were wrOuged, instead of be-
/ having as president Wilson and SecEe-
tary Bryan actually did behave. 40
I American citizens to claim and accept
from British and German officials and
| officers the protection which our own
| government failed to give
| But when we did interfere in Mexican
! internal affairs to aid one faction, we
| thereby made ourselves responsible 1OI
| the deeds of that faction and we have
! 10 right to try to shirk that RESPONSE
| bility
Messrs. Wilson and Bryan have de-
| clined to interfere to protect the rights
| of Americans or Of other foreigners In
| Mexico But they have interfered as
| between the Mexicans themselves III
the interest of one faction and with the
result of placing that faction IN power
! They have therefore bound themselves
to accept responsibility for the deeds
and misdeeds of that faction;
Not long ago president wilson IN 2
speech at SwarthmOre, Pa, declared
/ that Nowhere in this hemisphere can
any government endure when ].
stained by blood and at Mobile thai
/ Continued on Page ;, this sectiOn)