The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-05-23

Vera Cruz was seized without refer.
ence to any other purpose than the up
holding Of the dignity and honor Of the
United States. Not In President VIII
SONS address to the Congress, nor In
any Of the resolutions passed or Sib-
mitted, will be found any suggestion
that our real purpose was to remake
Mexico. to alter its customs. or to I'M
pose on 1t an Industrial. agricultural
and economic system of our choosing
and not Of its selection.
1t was not until May II. when Presi-
dent WILSON spoke over the bodies OF
seventeen Americans killed Mt Vera
Cruz. that another significance was pub
licly given to our adventure In Mexico.
In that SOLDERING and solemn presence
the President said:
1--WE have gone down to Mexico to serve
mankind IL we can ind out the way.
I'VE do not want to fight the Mexicans.
1--WE want to serve the Mexicans IL we
can. because we know how we would like
to be free and how we would like to be
served II tneTe were irienus stdnuihB ny
ready to serve us
"a war OF aggression Is not war In
which IL Is a proud thing to die. but
war OF service is a thing In which II Is
a proud thing to die"
Affronts and indignities had dropped
from first place in the Presidents in
terest between April 20 and May IL.
A larger vision had engaged his atten-
ton. What IL was nobody could know.
He had not revealed another purpose
to the Congress. whose Conference and
cooperation" he wanted on April 90 TO
do thing he could no doubt do with
out recourse" to that body. No procla-
nation had issued defining change Of
plan. 1t was not until May 81 that
there was published, in the form Of an
Interview attributed TO President Will
SON, a statement outlining the new am
billions that had succeeded his desire
for the fullest recognition Of the rights
and dignity Of the United States" The
latest statement revealing the course Of
this strange drama was conflded to the
saturday Evening Post of Philadelphia
for publication In Its edition airing
date OF Saturday. May 30. In IL the
purpose Of the President was emphntl-
cally stated:
MY ideal is an orderly and righteous
government but my passion is for the
submerged IS per cent OF the people OF
10. nh 80
ward liberty"
Here is no word OF affronts and
indignities. no reference to General
HrERTA. Answering a question as to
plans President WILSON said:
at is not my intention. having begun
! this enterprise, to turn back-unless ! am
| forced to do so--until | have assurances
that the great and crying wrongs the
people have endured are in process OF
satisfactory adjustment.
"Of course IL would not do for us to
| insist on an exact procedure for the parti-
| ton OF the land. for example, for that
would set us up in the position OF die
! taturs, which We arc not and never shall
y N~NN~N
! in our friendly offices until We are as
! sured that all these matters are on their
way to successful settlement"
To this cause he dedicates himself
and his powers SO long as the fulfilment
OF his passion" may require:
! And eventually shall fight every one
! OF these men who are now seeking and
who will then be seeking to exploit Mex
| leo for their own selfish ends.
81 shall do what | can to keep Mexico
from their plundering.
There shall be no individual exploita-
ton of Mexico II ! can stop II
This is some distance from denial Of
any desire to control in any degree
the affairs of our sister republic" The
saturday Ercning Post says that Pres
ident WILSON will insist on constl-
tutional settlement Of the agrarian
question under some such scheme per
haps as was followed in New Zealand
This Is long step from "The people OF
Mexico are entitled to settle their own
domestic affairs In their own way" a
right which on April 20 President VIII.
son, speaking for the nation, sincerely
desired to respect" Yet this interview
was recorded on April 81, or only one
week after President WILSON had Off
cially disclaimed for himself and his
countrymen any desire to dictate the
domestic policies Of Mexico.
The study OF these excerpts from
documents. official and unofficial. tho
consideration OF the chronological or
der of all the Incidents, including the
assault on Vera Cruz. will suggest GER
tain questions to the intelligent citizen
He will wonder whether any Of those
questions will be asked from the floor
Of the House Of Representatives or the
Senate of the United States.