Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1916-02-03

ing this country out of war in period when the very ato
sphere of the world be supercharged with the spirit
of armed strife he would down in history OF our
greatest presidents We have assumed all along that MS
ability to preserve would be his chief asset in the
coming national election. In his political addresses dealing
with the superiority of honor to even peace however, Pre
dent Wilson is playing with fire.
We have hitherto shown that practically every war OF
our nation has out Of the exgences of democratic pol
cs The Polk campaign and the with Mexico in the
4Os present the closest parallel the present situation
Every indication the present time has pointed to the
perseverance of the President in the policy of keeping out
United States Senator Albert B. Fall of New Mexico
says President Wilson's present plan to talk on national
defense until the latter part OF May ana then shorty pc
fore the meeting of the democratic national convention in
St Louis ask for intervention in Mexico 1t is expected hat
impossible and unspeakabe to make armed intervention
by the United States good politics, if not necessity
Nothing horrible than one OF a score or more
of hdeos ourages which Americans have been the vic
TINS in Mexico in the future but this eonsders
ton cannot be expected to figure large in the light of the
readiness with which the administration has thrown logic
and consistency the winds whenever it has suited its
pose change it's attitude Let how the is be-
ing paved for Mexican intervention.
Republican leaders have recently indicated their pur-
pose the arrangement of the Wilson administration
for its failure to protect American life in Mexico one OF the
ed progressive slogan of nonpartisan tariff board
long vainy promised by republicans 50 Mr. Wilson can ef
fecuay block this attack on his policies by calling for IN
Wherever the President speaking in his present swing
the circle he finds his audiences ready to applaud to
the echo his demands for preparedness for the maintenance
of national honor while his defense of his policy in keeping
of Mexico is followed by OinOus silence That expert
can hardly fail to chill the President into mood ready
for desperate action as to Mexico and hasten intervention
Senator Fall claims the Presidents advisers expect that
when June the situation will the adminstra
ton the solid support Of the country in the Presidents de-
words for political the administration safely
der f the coming summer step regarding Mexico which
The belief is held that with this country engaged in
seeking to clear the situation in Mexico through armed in
teryenton the people Of the United States would not be
likely to dspossess the Wilson administration and that the
President
Ordinarily the American public would regard any such
possibility In the light of the Polk emergency campaign
with reference to Mexico and with the President of the Uni
references to "a nation too proud fight the public must
be prepared to expect almost change in the Presidents
agile opportuns than Theodore Roosevelt and
that involves supersuperlative degree:
straon fits in with the present utterances of President Will
son.. In the first place it is to be noted that while the Pres
war he is talking about larger than Roosevelt
advocates while he would spread the increase of out
series thus avoiding the necessity paying
for ships while getting the credit of ordering them for num-
The President in his speech Cleveland quoted by the
democratic New York Times as saying; America is not
afraid of the danger of inadequacy You count
esp f of the %'
nations honor is eaer than the nations comfort yes than
the nations life itself" ~. u,
refer only to the European and yet greater correspond
ing increase our army than in our navy in the immediate
land campaign rather than to foes the That COM
bination of considerations must involve Mexico.
A large army prepared Immediately with reference to
possible trouble in Europe would be handy for in Mex
leo during the closing months of the present and be-
yond On the other hand while the President moving
to military preparation by references to the European war
there really less for fighting Germany and Bril-
tain than there when Germany killing Americans
and when Britain Selling merchant ships under our
very this side of the Atlantic.
The suspicious of people well be aroused by the
fact that Wilson could hold his when all the rest
of us excited to the point of righteous Indignation and
threshold national campaign and then begin to talk about
what the may bring forth and urge immediate prep
aration the maintenance of the nations honor
sibe participant in the when the slaughter of Amer
cans has ended and Ourages people have ceased
If it true may be dragged into the European
struggle very first should be to put our navy
in shane to serve efficiently first line OF defense That
will cost money but it will be far cheaper in the end to
have an adequate than to in the form OF quickly
eXaced tribute hundred times what an adequate
navy would have cost
If we are really preparing for intervention in Mexico
lust as the government is apparently getting con-
troll of the situation then shall not need many additions
to our navy but we shall need largely increased army
The President will find however, that there is little ma
IN, pdiOUO Next To