Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1915-10-04
Ashland, Ore. Monday, Oct. 4, 1915
AN ENTANGLING ALLIANCE.

When the Joint note" signed b!
the United States and half a dozen oi
the countries of South America, wa:
dispatched some weeks ago to tht
leaders of the various bands OF cut.
throats and banditti now terrorizing
Mexico, we had hoped that the last
had been heard of conferences upon
the state OF Mexico between this coun-
try and its neighbors to the south.
But that hope was doomed to disap-
pointment. IL is now announced that
in another day or two the confer
ences will be resumed. The colorless
and innocuous note which was the
fruit of former combinations having
been treated with the indifference or
derision which was to be expected,
the conferees are again to be brought
together, presumably to consider the
question, What are We going to do
about it?
President Wilson's Mexican policy
If so strong word may be applied
to so weak a thing-has been trag-
edy OF errors from the very begin
ming. But the very crown and cul-
mination of all the blundering was
achieved when the South American
powers we're invited into our councils.
Our interests and our responsibilities
in Mexico are different from theirs
and immeasurably greater and heav'
ier. From the very nature of things
race, language, geography, senti'
ment-these Latin neighbors can not
possibly be disinterested or impartial
counsellors. That was made cleal
clear enough when the first confer.
ences were held and when the south
ern nations flatly refused to join in
any note to Mexico that might have
in it anything in the nature of an
ultimatum or the suggestion of a
threat OF force.
Now it is entirely likely that
things will grow worse in Mexico be-
fore they can be made better and that
national self-respect, to say nothing
OF national self-interests, will make
it essential for force to be used. 1t
is the conviction of this paper that
order never will be restored in Mex
leo until ii is restored by some out
side power. II that time should
come it will be the United States, Of
course, that must apply the force and
supply the men and the means which
will back it up. Equally, of course,
our South American conferees will
never again give their assent. The
upshot of it will be, therefore, that
we will be in the position of having
invited our friends in to advise with
us and then of having rejected their
advice. May they not very we'll in
quire, why did you ask for our ad-
vice If you intended all along to do
as you pleased?" And will they not
be justified in feeling much more ag-
grieyed than they would have had
any right to feel if We had gone
about the matter as a great nation
ought 70 20. about such a matter
On our own responsibility? When
before. in all our history, has the
government Of the United States
called in outsiders to advise it about
matters that are its own problems?
The only reason We are concerned
with Mexico at all is because of the
Monroe Doctrine. But that is OUR
doctrine. it is not the doctrine OF Bra
zil or Argentina of Guatedama. Why
should these nations have been called
in to help settle problem arising
under II?
The Mexican trouble is big enough
and bad enough at the very best.
That 1t should be complicated by en-
tangling alliances with lot OF other
countries is simply intolerable. 1t
is a beautiful appeal which always is
made when any international COM
plieation arises to stand by the pres
ident," and every American instinct
lively wishes to do that. But it is a
hard task when the president wobbles
from one side to another, when he