New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-05-09
Yet Once More.

amazed American people that it had gone
70 Mexico ito serve mankind, if it could
find a way" Now the same people is in
formed that Mexican bandits have crossed
the United States frontierS-possbly they
also have in their hearts the desire to serve
mankind and a similar eager curiosity to
find a way.
1t is useless to discuss the latest Next
cen incident; it is useless to look for any
amelioration of shameful condition until
Mr.. Wilson puts aside the decisions and the
inveracity which have obsessed him from
the very beginning of the Mexican trouble.
The United States, under the direction
of Mr.. Wilson, has destroyed orderly gov
ernment in Mexico 1t has allied itself
first with Villa, and then less completely
with Carranza. The limitations on the
later alliance are mainly due to the frank
recognition by Carranza that the first prin-
ciple of all Mexcans is hatred Of the
United States.
Having destroyed orderly government,
having bargained with bandits, having in
vited reluctant South American nations
to Join us in subduing revolt by rhetoric
and exercising anarchy by proclamation,
Mr.. Wilson found himself obliged again to
have resort to arms and again to invade
Mexico.
The latest slaughter, once more on Amer
lean soil, surprised Mr.. Wilson at the mo-
ment when he was preparing to scuttle out
Of Mexico again, covering his retreat by
new fictions and further phrases. 1t de-
molishes one more edifce of words COM
pletely.
There can be no settlement, no improve
ment of Mexican conditions, until there is
a realization in Washington of what these
conditions are. Mr.. Wilson involved US in
war with Mexico two years ago. AS a
result of his Vera Cruz campaign he de-
stroved Mexican government. But in do
ing this he reused the hatred of all MeN-
cans. and while American soldiers were
creeping out of Mexico under the menace
of Mexican rifles Mr.. Wilson was protest
ing that we had gone to Mexico TO liberate
the nation and that we were the friends of
the Mexican people.
Mr.. Wilson made the Mexicans hate us.
He made them hate us with a new hate
which was grated upon an ancient griev-
ance. Then he taught these same Mexi-
cans that we were afraid Of them, he per-
mitted them to shoot our soldiers and de-
stroy property and lives within our from
tiers. because he sought 10 keep alive the
fiction of a benevolent attitude on both sides
of the Rio Grande.
It is a marvellous thing, this Wilson
mirage of Mexico. 1t is a strange and Won
derful thing, this conception of bandit
cursed land as the reproduction of the
Thirteen Colonies and Villa or Carranza
AS a second Washington. But this Is the
way in which Mr.. Wilson has seen Mexico.
This is the foundation on which his
policy rests He is still seeing or pretend
ing to see reality in the mirage and truth
in the grotesque and distorted vision which
he alone accepted.
Yet in this present world of ours the
fact makes short work with the illusion. No
sooner is one diplomatic triumph over Ger
many achieved than new submarine
atrocity reduces it TO ashes. We only hear
of a final Mexican adjustment an edition
or two in advance of new massacre. Fate
is dealing unkindly with Mr.. Wilson. There
is something almost memorable in the fash
ion in which his pretences and his protesta-
tions, his phrases and his policies, are one
after another not merely disproven but
shattered and destroyed utterly.
We have been at war with Mexico for two
years. We have destroyed Mexican gov
eminent, and there is no longer any power
in Mexico capable Of restoring order. We
have made Mexicans of all factions and
parties, of all classes and conditions, hate
us with an enduring hatred which is the
one bond Of common agreement in Mexico.
No semblance of government could en-
dure which demonstrated the smallest
friendliness for the United States.
Sooner or later we shall have 70 go TO
Mexico, not to serve mankind, to be sure,
but to save American lives and protect our
own frontier and our border states. Just
as long as Mr. Wilson continues to turn a
blind eye to the fact and deaf ear TO the
advice of those who, like the army, know
the facts we shall have murder after muir
der and incident after incident.
Mr.. Wilson began his Mexican policy
wrong. He has never had the courage to
confess the initial blunder. lie never could
bring himself to admit that he started
wrong. and in consequence he could never
get on solid ground or deal with actual
facts. He does not now find himself able
TO confess the failure, and therefore he
will not now deal with things as they are.
Doubtless we shall presently have one
more futile Mexican adjustment, precisely
as we are at the moment on easier
relations with Germany pending that new