Arizona republican., 1915-08-07

The following editorial from the Chicago Tribune was recently sent from Chicago to the Chamber of Commerce of this city, with request to pass it an editor who will reprint it. We cheerfuly dertake task:
 A LATENT NATIONAL PERIL
 Secretary of State Lansing is reported to have telegTaphed the attorney general of Arizona extend the reprieve of five Mexicans under con government evidently Secretary Lansing made his in view of the political situatio Mexico"
 got the following reply for his pains
 The United States has no right to interfere
 No doubt That is why Secretary Lansing re- quested instead of commanding. That is also why all United States may some day the price of war for the blind selfishness or passion a munity.
 In the case of the Mexcans no fatal result is to be feared from the powerlessness of the national government. But evid ently Secretary Lansing thought the interests involved were of some i'm portance he would not have chanced the affront he got. if the United States has mo right to in this it has no right to interfere when our relations with powers of the first rank are a the breaking point
 It is one of the most dangerous defects of federal system central government. repre- senting all the nation. cannot protect all the nation in international relations. The ideal of state sovereignty should be permitted to be the Achilles heel of the republic
 The national government through the extension and through action or the 1ederai courts WHICH should be fully empowered to act in all cases in- voIving rights of aliens. should be able to eH- complete control this source Of lnterna tionaI complication. Until such control is estab- lished we are at mercy of any community which under the influence of passion panic ignores the rights and interests of the whole nation
 The theory of the Tribune is sound Tt is one of the most dangerous defects of our federal sys- tenn that the central government representing all the nation cannot protect the nation in it's inter- national relations" But the Tribune has chosen an unfortunate instance illustration of it's theory. It betrays a woful lack of grasp of the 1acts For instance. the Tribune probably not had been recommended board of pardons and paroles for five Mexican rnurderers at the request of the state department But the board could not elicit from the state de- partment the reason for this unusual request It was denied by the department the correspondence which induced request The board knew. as everybody else in Arizona knew that the move ment for reprieve of these men--a communication of their sentences was first suggested originated in Phoenix with the head of any of the numerous Mexican governments. Yet the board deferred the state department and recommended a reprieve of nine weeks for the Mexican murder CTS one of whom. by way. not Mexican citizen. but a native-born Arizonian.
 A week before the expiration of the period of reprieve the department announced that it had ascertained that there was further for interference by it. three days before the date O execution another request was received from Secretary Lansing reprieve. It was stated that this request was made at instance of General Villa It is a that the secretary received the reply The United States has right to in , terfere" That a statement made in an inter view by a member the board of pardons and paroles. reply by the board stated that on account of of the people of this state the board had found it difficult Impossible to accede to the request, unless it could be definitely shown that the government of the United States would be embarrassed in its dealings with Mexico by the these It was well known baar ir,po med nv tain Phoenix address the state depart rnent that neither his any other Mexican government had slightest interest in the fate of Mexican murderers.
 We believe the state department made no reply to the suggestion of the board. and the board de- clined to take further action in the cases of the condemned men. these circumstances it does not appear that the federal government can complain of having been embarrassed by the conduct of the state authorities. There latent danger, though we that states sometimes insisting upon their rights, the California school boy legislation, might handicap he government in its international relations.