The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-27
SERVICE" AND MEXICO.
A Striking Criticism OF President WI
sons Professions and Acts.


suggested by the Jackson Day speech OF
President Wilson. | venture to direct at
tentIon to It, as there has BEEN as far
as | am aware, no general recognition OF
this aspect
Tho President SAYS: Eighty per cent.
Z the people OF Mexico have never had
look in In determining who should he
their governors or what their government
should be-" He certainly does not over
state the fact. These millions OF poems,
poor and totally ignorant, have not even
a conception Of democratic government.
Their history has been oppression and
robbery, varied only by battle and
butchery. The bloody struggle OF their
would be masters continues yet unde-
termined.
The President says: Now. am for the
so per cent. II is none OF my business
and II is none of your business how long
they take in determining H. II Is none
OF my business and II IL none of your
business how they 20 about the business.
The country is theirs. The Government
Is theirs, and 50 far as my influence goes,
while I am President nobody shall inter-
Zero with them"
This he calls IA great emotion Of sym
pathy," and adds: Have not European
nations taken as long as they wanted and
spilled as much blood as they pleased
In settling their affairs. and shall we
deny that to Mexico because she IL weak
No. | say" The analogy OF course Is
perfect between a united nation lighting
for the preservation OF what Il believes
its vital interests and integrity and the
poor Mexican peon exploited and muir
d"red by warning Generals. II we would
not interfere with man defending hts
home. II must follow also that we should
not interfere with his liberty II ne
beat his wife to death. While we sit
idly by we might add. In the words OF
tho President, III am strong l am
ashamed to bully the weak
II may be that the policy of the Ad-
mini>tratlon toward Mexico will prove 10
be the popular one. The aspect OF II
that ] am endeavoring to point out rs
that II is a supremely selfish one. If the
blessings Of law and order protection OF
life and property, are TO he enjoyed by
the Mexican poems, the illlterate and OPP
pressed so per cent. II will be only he
cause the American people have been
willing to make tho sacrifices necessary to
give those blessings TO them TO give them
their first experience OF law, lead them
In their first steps nj self-eXpression and
Ia their hrst knowledge Of government.
II all experience in Central America and
IN the tropics and semi-tropics means
anything It teaches this with no uncer-
tainty.
BUT the sacrifices called for are great
The magnitude OF the task may well give
us pause. We may say Let Mexico
bleed to death let the peon 20 on being
plundered as he always has been, Am
my brothers keeper"
But In heavens name. don't let us he
hypocritcal We may decline the task.
turn our back on the suffering, but don't
let us ask admiration because We have
not interfered with the poems liberty"
II Is utter nonsense to talk In fine
phrases about liberty" when there IS
har lnxV order To
say OF this oppressed so per cent that
the government is theirs Is 10 state an
obvious falsehood.
We want to keep our dollars in our
pockets and our sons at home. Well and
good, Let the Generals fight II out until
one makes himself master and enjoys
the spoils. We will do nothing except to
sell them arms and ammunition. Mr..
Wilson says: at is none OF my business"
and he trlumphantly eNclaims: only
America II saving her power for her own
people"
But one turns away from the reading
or this speech with q sense OF utter dis
gust at the Snug hypocrisy OF It when
he asks May we not look forward to
the time when We shall be called blessed
among the nations because We succorei
the nations ot the world In the time OF
th"i~ d,-t-ass?'
The succor mentioned by the President
nations at double their normal price and
the pleasant task OF acting ms interme-
diary between the exhausted bolligerents.
Truly heroic
Rut for tortured Mexico, where heIp
calls for a real sacrifice. great hard
shlp--there we are told at Is none OF
our business"
Tho British Empire has been built from
the blood Of her soldiers shed In every
zone. However much British bumptious-
ness and insularity may Crate upon us
none nut tho most prciudicrd would deny
tho irestimable service that that empire
has rendered to humanity II is literally
true that the fellah Of Egypt under Eng
lish protection enjoys the fruit Of his
labor In peace and security for the first
time In more than thousand years In
India justice is maintained and famine
avcrted because of British lives given in
uustiutcd service under her burning sun.
We also have made sacrifices not iu
vain. The reconcentrado camp and the
recurring revolution has vanished from
cuba. To-day In order and security It's
people are enjoying the greatest pros
perity they have ever known Head hunt
ing and tribal warfare In the Philippines
are held in check sanitation, justice AM
honest government have been established,
In Porto Rico, whore so per cent. were
illiicrate. where the laborer received -
to 20 cents for his labor. to-day there is
a schoohouse on nearly every hill, and
the laborer receives 10 cents to 81 a day,
and no oppression can take II from MIN.
These are the fruits OF the sacrifices OF
blood that We made unselfshly through
honest Indignation at wrong and violence.
No American need feel ashamed at the
part We have played for humanity. II WAS
tho first Republican President that led
this country through the most supreme
sacrifice in history for the dishonored and
enslaved.
1t remains now for Democratic Presi-
dent to arise, wrapping himself In
mantle Of righteousness. and tell us that
wrong, murder and anarchy at our doors
are none of your business"
None could contemplate tho task in
Mexico with satisfaction, Well may we
wish this cup would pass from us, But
| II may he also that President Wilson has
TOO cynical an idea OF American courage
| and Chivalry.
LORENZO d. ARMSTRONG.
NEw York. January go.