Cut Bank pioneer press. [volume] (Cut Bank, Mont.) 1909-current, 1916-04-28

eSASCc ~ MILITARY power WutcD dTt OK
hihi'ed In Europe from laying hold
upon the vast territory and practically
undefended wealth of the new world ?
Have we still national idealsf viii
anybody live for themf Would any.
body die for them? Or are we all for
ease and comfort and wealth at any
price? Confronted by such questions
as these and the practical situations
which give rise to them. is the coun
try satisfied { trust itself again in the
hands Of the Democratic partyf
impotent Interference In Mexico.
The United States had rights and
duties in Mexico. More than 10000 of
our citizens had sought their fortunes
and made their homes there, A thou
sand millions OF American capital had
been invested In that productive coun
try But revolution had come, and
factional warfare was rife. Americans
bad been murdered. American proper
ty had been wantonly destroyed the
lives and property Of all Americans in
Mexico were in danger. That was the
situation when Mr.. Wilson became
president In March, 1918 His duty
then was plain. It was. frst. to use
his powers as president to secure pro
lection for the lives and property Of
Americans In Mexico and to require
that rules of law and stipulations of
treaties should be observed by Mexico
toward the United States and its Cit
zens, His duty was. second. as the
head of a foreign power to respect the
independence Of Mexico. to refrain
from all interference with her internal
affairs. from all attempt at DONNA
ton except as be was justified by the
law Of nations for the protection of
American rights. The president of the
United States failed to observe either
of those duties. He deliberately aban
doned them both anG followed an en-
tirely different and inconsistent pur
pose. He interviewed in Mexico to aid
one faction In civil strife against an
other He undertook to pull down
Huerta and set Carranza up In his
place. Arms and munitions of war
were freely furnished to the northern
forces and withheld from Huerta
Finally the president sent our army
and navy to invade Mexico and cap
ture it's great seaport. Vera Cruz. and
hold It and throttle Mexican commerce
until Huerta fell.
Americans Outraged IN Mexico.
The government Of the United States
INTERVIEWED In Mexico to control the In
ternal affairs of that independent coun
try and to enforce the will of the
American president In those affairs by
threat, by economic pressure and by
force Of arms Upon what claim Of
right did this intervention proceed
Not to ecure respect for American
rights. not to protect the lives. or prop
erty of our citizens. not to assert the
Jaws of nations. not to compel observ
OF the law of humanity On the
,'ontrary. Huerta's was the only power
in Mexico to which appeal could be
made for protection OF life or property
That was the only power which. In
fact. did protect either American or
European or Mexican 1t was only
within the territory where Huerta
ruled that comparative peace and or
der prevailed. The territory over
which the armed power of Carranza
and villa and their associates extended
was the theater Of the most appalling
crimes Bands Of robbers roved the
'ountry with unbridled license. Amer
can and Mexicans alike were at their
mercy. and American men were muir
dered and American women were out.
ragged with impunity. Thousands were
reduced to poverty by the wanton de
struction of the industries through
which they lived. Yet the government
Ut the United States ignored. con
doned, the murder Of American men
and the rape of American women and
destruction of American property and
insult to American officers and defle.
ment Of the American Gag and joined
itself to the men who were guilty OF
all these things to pull down the pow
er of Huerta. Why? The president
himself has told US. 1t was because
lie adjudged Huerta to be a usurper.
because he deemed that the common
people of Mexico ought to have great
er participation in government "nd
share in the land, and he believed n,
Carranza and Villa would give th-nl
these things. we must all sympata.ze
with these sentiments. but there is
nothing more dangerous than mis-
placed sentiment.
When Il army landed at Vera Cruz
Carranza himself. who was to be the
chief beneficiary of the act. publicly
protested against it. So strong was
the resentment that he could not have
Kept his followers otherwise. When
Huerta had fallen the new government,
which for the day had succeeded to
his place perempt0rily demanded the
withdrawal OF the American troops
The universal sentiment of Mexicans
required the peremptory demand. and
the troops were withdra wn Still
worse than that. the taking OF Vera
fsrtI1 lacfpuynl aarRto- l. A. -