The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-03-08
BURTON SCORES
ADMINISTRATION
IN A N. J. SPEECH
Wilson Policies Labeled Weak
est in History of Republic.
Democrats Try to Carry Water
on Both Shoulders.
MUCH PERSONAL PARTIALLY
Mexican BIunders Have Dis
graced Nation Before World.
Ohio Senator Says It's Time to
Turn on the Light.
MUCH PERSONAL PARTIALLY
Mexican Blunders Have Dis
graced Nation Before World.

Trenton. y. J., March s.-Theodore
f. Burton of Ohio. in an address be-
fore the Republican club here 1ues-
day night characterized the admins
tration of President Wilson as one OF
CANCELLATION and weakness unparalleled
in the history of the republic"
The present critical foreign rela-
lions of this country are due solely TO
the vacillating policy of the admins
tration, Burton said. He bitterly
scored the presidents course in Mex
leo. He said in part:
sThe one fact more obvious than
anS other that stands out today IN all
the conflicting currents of events dur
ing the last three years is that the
nrAsent status of the United States in
relation to other countries has been
brought about by the halting, hesl-
fancy and vacillation OF the present
administration.
'fF.xcept for this, murder and an
archy in Mexico would long since
have ceased. 1t is reasonable to as
sume there would have been no con-
troversy with Germany over supIna-
rfne warfare and that we never W0uIu
have had a dispute with Great brl-
tain respecting the rights of American
No Set Policy
"AU these could have been prevent
ed IL we had attended strictly TO our
own business and adhered to Ilrm
and consistent course MT. IsoiI
and the Democrats came into power
inst three years ago and on almost
every great question, foreign ana DO
nestle, they have taken both sides
ct is time to turn the light upon
the record of the present admlnlstra-
aG nj
pledges and broken promises me
Democratic organization has become
discordant mob seeking to follow the
weather vane.
.'In Mexico. we have been on every
side except that of the responsible
Mexican government. We went to war
with Huerta because he refused to sa-
lutte the American flag. We killed two
or three hundred MeMcans; we lost a
score Of American seamen; American
men and women were compelled TO
rely for protection upon German ana
British marines. and finally Huerta
died on American soil without saluhns
the American flag.
I'VE made a hero of the unspeak-
able villa: we allowed him to be sup
piled with arms and ammunition
which were in part used by his bandit
armies to take the lives and destroy
the property of American citizens.
Finally, we recognized Carranza,
whose followers had been as eager in
murder and spOliation as any OF the
others and who is now unable to ad-
minister the government in the CAPT.
tai of his country.
Personal Partially.
"All our dealings with Mexicans
have been so characterized by the per-
sonal partially of the administration,
ny Bseddling offieiousness and lack of
firmness and consistency as to cause
tn
the Btexicans but of the world.
''Then, take the matter of prepared
ness. At the first session of congress
after the beginning of hostilities in
Europe, the president in his message
said preparedness was not a pressing
question and referred to those who
were agitating the matter as nervous
and excited Less thai ten months ago
he was still so reluctant to face the
responsibility for national defense as
to take refuge in the unhappy phrase
that a nation may be too proud to
fight
NOV the president makes the most
esStravagant speeches for prepared
ness. He says we must have the iarg
est navy in the world. 1t was surely
Just as obvious when the first gun YVES
fired in Europe that the United States
must be ready to protect itself as it
is today.
The Big Blunder.
And now we come 20 the most i'm
portant question of all-the present
snarl over the arming of merchant
men for defensive purposes and the
rights of American citizens to travel
upon the seas. Here again the whole
difficulty arose from the exercise of
those two conspicuous talents of the
present administration, the passion
far interference in the affairs of 9TH
ef nations and the inability to keep
away from both sides of the question
1--WE attempted to persuade England
aAd France to give up a right which
they claimed under international law,
bat would not ask American citizens
to yield right which we alleged be-
longed to them, under the same law.
IL other words. we took the position
that England and France had no right
to arm their merchantmen, for thus
they became warships while, on the
other hand, only a few weeks later we
maintained that although they were
warships, Germany had no right to
sink them without warning.
mo wonder it is hard 20 stand bv
the president. In Mexico we marched
up the hill and then marched down
again; in this recent controversy over
the arming of merchantmen we
marched down the hill and then
marched up again