New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-08-31
Repeatinp the Mexican Blunder.


/ A close and instructive parallel can be
drawn between President Wilson's acts IN
the great railroad controversy and his
Mexican course. In both instances, when
the greatest caution was prime requisite
! he rushed into action Committed to a
policy by his blind haste, he continued to
rush until the situation became disastrous
If Mr.. Wilson had looked before he
eaped in the Mexican muddle, Vera Cruz
the Pershing expedition, Carrizal, the mob
ilization of the National Guard-all these
need not have been. If he had looked be-
fore he leaped in the railroad controversy,
there would now be no demand for
panic legislation from Congress, and the
country in all probability would not be fac
ing the horrors of a general tie-up of
transportation.
The President believed, or somebody told
him and he accepted the statement, that
Villa was destined to be the savior of his
country, whereas Huerta was red-handed
murderer. Thereupon Mr.. Wilson began
his dealings with Villa, waxing hot or cold
as complication succeeded complication in
the fractional politics of Mexico. Even
when Villa stood exposed as an ordinary
brigand. utterly despicable, and Carranza
was beginning to obtain the upper hand in
their devastated country, Mr.. Wilson con-
tinued to retain faith in Villa. Apparent
~, he had been committed by his own deeds
to a course from which he saw no escape.
Naturally this endeared him to Carranza,
who assumed office with an animosity tow
ard this country, and particularly its Pres
ident, for which he could scarcely be-
blamed. At last, when Mr.. Wilson, max
ing the best of events which he couldn't
change. began to deal with Carranza, i'll
was only to 90 on into difficulties which a
man with less cocksureness and more
knowledge of human nature might easily
have avoided.
Just as the President accepted Villa as a
second Washington, he unquestioningly ac-
cepted the demands of the railway brother
hoods and issued a blanket Endorsement Of
Society" on them. He espoused the cause
with its fake "eight-hOur day" proposal
with a haste which precluded possibility of
genuine investigation, which scarcely al
lowed time even for a glance at the other
side of the case. Whether he did this of
his own voliton or because, as has been
alleged, he took the tip of Mr.. Frank
Walsh that it would be a fine stroke of
business is immaterial. The net result
was that the trainmen were bolstered up
and confirmed in their determination to
strike rather than submit to arbitration
of their demands; while the President be-
coming more and more one-sided as the
cause he had espoused met opposition, went
on promising public support for them I'M
til they finally called the strike and he had
to slip from under the load of response
bility by shifting it all to Congress.
The country may muddle out of the
railroad trouble somehow, as it seems to be
on the verge of muddling out of one bad
phase Of the Mexican mess. The likelihood
that in either instance the country may
escape the worst Of the dangers into which
it has been plunged yields no reason to
trust the man so instrumental in bringing
about those dangers. Least of all does it
give any reason for future confidence in
the character and mentality which can re-
peat a tremendous mistake when the cir
cumstances vary a trife from the setting
for the original blunder