The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1914-12-12
Copyright, 1914, by Wheeler Syndi-
cate, lnc.)

SdISJ nv
An astonishing proof of the readi.
ness of many persons to pay heed ex-
clusively to words and not at all to
deeds is supplied by the statement of
the defenders of this administration
that President Wilson has kept us
out Of war with Mexico" and has
avoided interference in Mexico" ."
These are the words. The deeds have
beel: First, an unbroken course Of
more or less furtive meddling in the
internal affairs of Mexico carried to a
pitch which imposes on this nation a
grave responsibility for the wrong
doing of the victorious factions; and,
second, the plunging of this country
Into what was really futile and in
glorious little war with Mexico, war
entered into with no adequate object,
and abandoned without the achieve
ment of any object whatever, adequate
or inadequate.
president Wilson's War;"
To say that we did not go to war
with Mexico is a mere play upon
words. A quarter of the wars of his
tory have been entered into and car
ried through without any preliminary
declaration of war and often without
any declaration of war at all. The
seizure of the leading seaport city of
another country, the engagement and
defeat of the troops of that country,
and the retention of the territory thus
occupied for a number of months,
constitute war; and denial that it is
war can only serve to amuse the type
of intellect which would assert that
Germany has not been at war with
Belgium because Germany never de-
clared war on Belgium. President Will
sons war resulted in the sacrifice of a
score of American lives and hundred
or two of the lives of MeXicans; it
was entirely purposeless, has served
no good object, has achieved nothing
and has been abandoned by Mr.. Will
son without obtaining the object be-
cause of which it was nominally en-
tered into; it can therefore rightly be
stigmatized as a peculiarly unwise,
ignoble and inefficient war; but it is
war, nevertheless.
Our Interference "FeebIe."
This has been bad enough. But the
general course of the administration
toward Mexico has been worse and
even more productive Of wide and far
reaching harm. Here again, word
splitters may, if they desire, endeavor
to show that the President did not
interfere" in Mexico; but if so they
would be obliged to make fine dis
elimination between interference and
officious and mischievous inter.
meddling. Whether it is said that
President Wilson interfered in Mexico
or merely that he meddled in Mexican
affairs so as to produce much evil and
no good and to make us responsible
for the actions of a peculiarly lawless
ignorant and blood-thirsty faction, is
of small Importance. The distinction
is one merely of words. The simple
fact is that, thanks to President VIII
sons action-and at times his inactior
has been the most effective ant
vicious form of action-this country
has become partially (and guiltilyl
responsible for some of the worst acts
ever committed even in the civil war.
of Mexico.
When Mr. Wilson became Presiden
of the United States Huerta was presi
dent of Mexico. On any theory O.
non-interference with the affairs of oul
neighbors, or any theory of avoidins
war and of refusing to take sides will
or becoming responsible for the deeds
of blood-stained contending factions, /
was the clear duty of Mr.. Wilson t.
accept Mr.. Huerta as being presiden
of Mexico. Unless Mr.. Wilson was pre-
pared actively to interfere in MeXic
and to establish some sort of proteC
torate over it, he had no more bus
ness to pass judgment upon tn
methods of Mr.. Huerta's selection
(which had occurred prior to Mr.. WI
sons advent to power) than Mexie
would have had to refuse to recognlz
Mr.. Hayes as President on the groun
that it was not satisfied with hi
economic policy and moreover symp;
thized with Mr.. Tildens side OF tn
controversy. And if Mr.. Wilson mad
ND his mind to interfere in Mexico
for of course the most trenchant typ
of interference was refusal to reco'
nize the Mexican president-he shoul
have notified foreign powers of his pr
posed action in order to prevent so ia
as possible Huerta's recognition b
them. President Wilson interfered
such feeble fashion as to accomplis
the maximum of evil to us and to othe
foreigners and the Mexicans, and til
minimum of good to anybody. He hi
but he hit softly. Now, no one shoul
ever hit If it can be avoided; but nev'
should any one hit soft"