New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-05-04
The Wilson Doctrine What Is It,?


About the most impenetrable mystery Of current
as exemplifed in his dealings with Mexico. What
is it and what does it mean? Gratitude should
therefore go out to Mr.. William Bayard Hale, who
spent some months in Mexico as an unofficial agent
of the President for trying to tell the public in THE
Worlds Work" Just what his principal has been
driving at. The editor of The Worlds Work" says
that perhaps no one except the President himself is
entitled to speak with greater authority upon the
problems of Latin America and the relation of our
government toward the Latin American republics
than Mr.. Hale Is. Brilliantly summed up by the
second best authority on the subject, Mr.. Wilson's
policy in Mexico is "an example of the new Monroe
Doctrine that establishes our suzerainty only as an
effective source of moral inspiration over the nations
Of Central America and the West Indies"
The President in his speeches and messages to
Congress has also given the impression that his pro
gramme was limited to moral Inspiration" Possibly
lie still thinks that it is But if acts count for more
than words what evidence is there that the Presi-
dent has ever modified the obligations entailed on
the United States by the Monroe Doctrine so as TO
make the enforcement of that doctrine depend solely
upon moral suasion?
Mr.. Wilson's attitude toward the Huerta govern
ment has always been one which implied the use OF
political and military rather than merely moral
pressure. He served an ultimatum on Huerta re-
Quring the latter not only TO retire from the Pres
dency but to eliminate himself as a candidate for
President at any election He boycotted the
administration at Mexico CITY, worked to cut off its
access to the European money market and lifted the
embargo on the expectation of arms from this
try into Mexico in order TO aid the Carranza- Villa
revolution His whole programme was one OF coer-
con, sure to provoke armed clash with Huerta, if
| the latter was able to retain his hold on the ma
chnery of the central government.
In describing this a mastery exhibition OF
moral Inspiration Mr. Hale certainly exhibits n
high degree Of rhetorical subtety. The average
European critic Of Mr.. Wilson's policy judging 1t
only from results. is convinced that this country has
manGuvred from the start to make interven-
ton in Mexico inevitable. The Continental and even
the English press is almost unanimous in the view
that the President has deliberately invited a clash
: with Huerta and an occupation Of Mexican terri
tory as prelude to financial and political pro-
tectorate. Americans who have seen the admin
istration working at shorter range acquit Mr. Wilson
of generalization of any sort They see that he has
merely Numbered along toward Intervention. They
are also capable of dismissing as merely delicate
irony the claim that upon the timehonored founda-
tons of the Monroe Doctrine he has ever attempted
TO rear gttering superstructure Of "mora sue
rainty"
Only the other day THE New York World" which
has been highly sympathetic with the Wilson pro-
gramme, threw off this startling Interpretation of It.
Not since the United States government under the
leadership of Abraham Lincoln destroyed human
slavery has il undertaken nober mission than the
emancipation Of the Mexican masses from a tyranny
Ipeonage and the concentration Of great and-hod-
ings in few hands, that is little better than
slavery.
Is that sort Of intimate political and economic
organization also a phase of the administrations
policy? The country will look mploringly for
little more light from the secondbest living author
ity on the scope Of the Wilson Doctrine