The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1914-12-03
The Mexican Failure.

Caustic, comment on the last act of
the Wilson administration in it's So
called Mexican policy, something that
had so much mist that it was actual
ly nothing more than vapor or a
Bryan bubble, is widespread in this
country, SO much so that no one can
truthfully say that there is lack of
patriotism in the denunciation, the
exposure of the national adninistra-
TONS weakness and the merited re-
Duke the country is giving the ma
itional head OF the government. About
the mtldest form of a Just criticism
in this respect is that the admins
tration undertook to do something
but made no progress and then ig-
nchly quit. 1t seemed not to know
what itrwanted to do or how to do 1t,
or If 1t did know, it did not have the
courage to do it. A more miserable
failure in administration circles never
was chronicled in all the country's
history than the Mexican failure ad
It will so down in history as shame
ful episode in international affairs.
The only thing actually done was
the sacrifice Of noble young American
life without the accomplishment of a
single thing looking toward pacitica-
ton In Mexico. And, 1t is not unfair
to say that Woodrow Wilson actually
committed the nation to his policy,
which has come to naught so far as
ian any good q, is concernsd, committee. 1t
before he even became president.
Congress had nc. hand in the thing at
the start and was not even consulted
before he made the declaration that
Huerta must go, and it is he who
must take the blame, the one who is
rightly held accountable for the fail
ure to pacify Mexico.
Very clearly presented are the
main points of the failure and the de-
plored part taken by the president in
this much regretted episode In the
following editorial paragraphs. taken
from the Philadelphia North Ameri-
can: ,
The troops who are coming north
from the Vera Cruz occupation are
not the first to return from thai. ILL
starred expedition. Nineteen Ameri-
can sailors came home1iast May. They
had given their lives in defense Of
that national honor which is now ig-
'nobly abandoned.
Nineteen graves are the chief tan
gible results of a military enterprise
which was hailed as needful cul-
mination impalpable but no less real
are the destruction OF American pres
tige and the leaving of Mexico in the
throes of anarchy worse than has
afflicted that country at any other
time since March 4, 1913. s.S,
The deaths of nearly $50 murdered
American residents in Mexico are
unavenged; for vast property looted
and destroyed there has been no rep
aration; the self-imposed task Of the
United States government has been
fnrtyely abandoned; the insulted flag
has not been saluted, and the lives
and interests of Americans and Euro
peans have been left to the mercy of
bloodthirsty factionists and bandits.
From its flamboyant beginning to
its impotent conclusion, the policy of
this administration toward Mexico
has been one long record of vacuity,
faulty and futility. Proclaimed as a
sure method of enhancing this coun-
try's power for good and of establish
ing peace beyond our southern hor-
der, it has made American influence
a moekery and deserted Mexico in
the hour OF her direst distress.
= It was characteristic of the author
of this melancholy failure that he
took the first step without the slight
est public warning. Within a week
;of his Inauguration President Wilson
announced that under no circum-
stances would this government ever
recognize General Huerta. Without
consulting congress or the nation or
any known representative OF public
thought, he thus committed the Uniter
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