El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1915-03-04

the de facto government in Mexico,
or merely recognized that government
as the government in control OF that
portion Of Mexico, and made no De
mands upon it other than the prOtec-
ton of the lives and property of our
citizens and those of other nations we
should have had the good viii OF that
government and the people friendly 10
it. and the lives and property OF our
citizens and other foreigners would
have been respected and protected. As
a matter of fact Americans and other
foreigners were protected in their per-
sons and their property by that gov
eminent in spite of our indefenstble at
titUde toward it.
II We Had Been Neutral.
IT, further, we had remained neu-
trail toward the warning factions in
northern EeXicO, had treated them
without fear and without favor and
laid upon them the single injunction
and condition that in their contlct
with the Huerta government they must
see to it that the persons of our citl-
zens and Of other foreigners were re-
spected and their property protected
as far as possible under the conditions
of war which existed. had we made il
clear to Villa and Carranza that any
failure to afford this respect and pro-
lection would be swiftly followed by
the advance of our forces across the
border, and that failure to punish
promptly outrage or destruction, which
might occur in spite of efforts
to prevent it, would be followed by a
swift and effective blow, We would in
my opinion, have haG little reason for
complaint.
Wilson's Extraordinary Sayings.
One time and another the president
has said some very extraordinary
things about Mexico and his policy in
dealing with that country and people,
but the most remarkable of all his ut
terances on the subject are contained
in the very peculiar speech which he
made at indianapolis on jackson day
Among other things the president said:
1 hold it as r fundamental principle,
and so do you, that every people has
the right to determine its own form OF
government.
1t is curious that the president had
forgotten or overlooked this funda-
mental principle when he assumed the
right to tell the people of Mexico
through John Lind what kind of a gov
eminent they should have. The claim
not the people of Mexico, had the
right to say what sort of a govern
ment they should have and who should
be at the head of il, was the basis
and the beginning of the administra-
tons blunderS and errors in Mexico.
Wilson's Private Interference.
The president further uttered the
very obvious truth, The country is
theirs. The government is theirs And
then, as though to valiantly ward of
some evil-minded intermeddler, he de-
clared with emphasis. and so far as
my influence goes while I am presi-
dent nobody shall Interfere with
them" Nobody has been interfering
with them but the president, and he
has interfered with them and with
their affairs directly and Indirectly and
has brought to the support of that in
reference the army, the navy, and all
the moral and political influences of a
great nation.
Probably what the president meant
was that he did not intend to have any
one interfere with Mexico but himself.
That is evident enough. Persistent ru-
NOR has it that our interests in the
Panama canal were put in jeopardy,
II not surrendered, in order that the
president might have a free hand to
interfere with Mexico in just the way
he desired.
Hopes Wilson Regrets.
Perhaps the most extraordinary
statement which the president made
at Indianapolis was, IF I am strong 1
am ashamed to bully the weak" This
expression leads me to hope that the
president is regretting the way he bull
lied the Huerta government and the
people OF Mexico VINO were favorable
to that government
Finally, the president said that he
thought the MeXicans should have Just