South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-04-21
Elk MINISTER To
MEXICO BLAMES
j. 8. FOR STRIFE
Henry Lane Wilson at Knife and
f. Fork Club Says AdminiStra-
ton Made Fatal Error in Not
Recognizing Huerta.


FIVE years He freed Huerta from
blame in the murder OF Madero; he
charged the present United States
government with having made a silly
and fatal error in refusing TO recog
nize Huerta and finally ne held up the
administration TO ridicule in respect
10 its foreign policy. particularly as
regards Mexico and the Latin Ameri-
can states.
The main dining room of the hotel
was filled for the occasion. Instru-
mental music was furnished by Olsen's
orchestra and vocal selections were
rendered by Rev. Frank r. Briggs.
accompanied by humorous readings
selected from the works Of WhitcOmb
Riley Rt. Rev. J. Il. White acted as
POSTMASTER.
Says L. s. Protected We'll.
In introducing his subject. the
speaker OF the evening said that he
intended 10 tell the truth concerning
the Mexican question. even though
the truth was not all pleasant and
even though il meant that he must act
in the role of a critic Of the present
United States administration. He
called attention TO the fact that this
country is happily situated in that it
is protected from invasion by the
ocean on both the east and the west
and that it is in touch on the north
with a friendly and sympathetic peO-
pie. on the south, however. he said,
il is faced with a situation full OF
danger and menace.
He described the country of Mexico
as a great empire, 1000 miles in length
and LOO miles in width, containing
the resources of all chimes in super
abundant measure and destined in
a q al
world commerce. He reviewed the
history of the country from the time
of Cortez and pointed out that the
country is now in as bad condition as
it was when COrteZ first came to its
shores. lie declared that only in a
superficial way had the MeXicans ever
accepted the civilization or religion of
the Spaniards
Whites Control Lands.
The speaker said that the country
of Mexico was now divided into great
estates owned and controlled by white
persons much the same as 1t was at
the time Of Cortez, and that so per
cent of the population was residing
on the land only by suffrage. These
people, he said, are not able to read
or TO write and are being put into
worse condition than were their en-
CestOrs by the vices of the white man.
The government of the country was
described as being under a multitude
of bloody tyrants whose aim had been
10 despOil the land until the time Of
Felix Diaz who. the speaker declared.
ruled the country for 35 years with
sagacity and justice and with undevi-
ating personal honesty The speaker
said that Diazs one big foreign policy
had been To maintain friendship with
the United States and his domestic
policies had been principally to de-
velop the resources of the country and
TO arouse the morals of the people.
Diaz Reign Collapsed.
The speaker went into the details OF
his appointment as United States min
lister to Mexico in 1909 by Pres't
Taft He related how he had dis
covered and reported to the admins
tratiOn the discomfort which was de-
veloping against the Diaz government
This discomfort he said, was due to
the fact that the government was eX-
clusively in the hands of three men.
In the opinion of the speaker this gov
eminent was not OverthrOwn by Ma
dero but collapsed The native Mexi-
liberty but for license and on such a
foundation as they afforded a consti-
tutional government could not be
established
Blame for the various upheavels in
the country was laid at the door of
the oil companies and other corpora
uons which IT was declared financed
the various Instructions. The speaker
said that the native Mexicans have an
undying hatred for foreigners and
also hold the belief that the country
has been stolen from them and that
some day they Will again reign. Dur
ing five years Of war; Mexico, the
speaker declared. had undergone more
savage destruction and violence than
had ever fallen TO the lot of eny cOun-
try.
The speaker related how Madero
had been murdered while being trans
ferred, under the direction OF the
United States minister. to more COM
Portable quarters preceding his pro-
posed removal from the country. He
said that. following the murder. he
had examined L = eye witnesses of the
affair and had received II conflicting
statements He laid the blame for
the murder on the relatives Of officials
who had been murdered by Madero
himself.
Resigns When Criticized.
The speaker described how the bonn
bardment OF the city Of Mexico had
been stopped and the lives of hun
dreds OF residents saved through his
Intervention in securing a consultation
between the Mexican leaders. This
action. he said. was criticized al Wash
ington as being an interference with
the administration policy while at the
same time IL was given praise in every
nation in Europe Finally. said the
speaker he had seen At to resign his
position as United States minister be
cause OF the fact that he was called
upon 10 make misrepresentation
which he could not make.
In the opinion OF the speaker the
recognition Of Huerta by the United
States would have resulted in peace
for Mexico. He declared that the
administration had fun Information
concerning the situation an that II
should have known that the demands
upon Huerta 10 secure a constitutional
election were demands that could not
possibly be carried out among such
people rs the MeXicanS. The speaker
severely criticized the policy Of the
United states throughout the Mexican
trouble as being vague. uncertain and
4 rfer~a. 4 oil hat