Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1916-10-10
The Mirup IN Merico

The British and French governments have
given the Mexican members of the joint commis-
sion at Atlantic City something besides the with
drawal OF Pershing to think about, and Mr. VII
son and Mr.. tanning another problem to solve
than the making OF political capital out OF the
supposed triumph Of law and order" in Mexico,
under Carranzas auspices. They have called the
attention of the State department to the action OF
the Carranza government in Selling the assets OF
the British and French banking institutions IN
the City of Mexico, and the Paris Temps, in what
is manifesty an inspired article accompanying the
demand explains that the French government
recognized Carranza in compliance with the de-
sire of the United States government, depending
on that government, under the principles OF the
Monroe doctrine to safeguard French rights. in
Mexico. France hoped, the Temps tells u.s. that
its compliance with the desires of Mr.. Wilson
would have no unhappy effect on the rights OF
French Citizens in Mexico but the hope has not
been realized. Senior Carranza is coniscating
things right and left in Mexico; he has no more
regard for British and French trading and prop
erty rights than he has for those Of Americans.
Evidently he supposes that if the rights OF Euro
peans are thus made to depend on the United
he can fout or destroy them at his pleasure.
There is certainly point in the British and
French protest We have assumed certain de-
gree of responsibility toward European nations in
connection with these disorderly American ma
tons. Though we have, indeed, permitted them
zens in Hayti, Nicaragua, Venezuela and other
Latin American countries, we have in "a general
way adopted policy OF "hands Off toward Euro
pean governments. This policy has been accentu-
ated by the recent direct assumption of financial
responsibility by our government for Hayti, Santo
Domingo and Nicaragua. Nothing could have.
been more distinct than the political responsibility
at any rate, which Mr.. Wilson assumed for Car
rama toward foreign powers when he hunted
duerta out of power and put Carranza in. And it
is not to be wondered at now, when the British
and French see the property of their citizens con-
hscated by this same Carranza, that they should
ask Mr. Wilson what he is going to do about it.
They pass the notice along to Mexico, too, with
a polite intimation in the Temps that if the de-
mands upon Carranzas government remain with
out result they will take such action as the situa
ton requires. This means that quite overlooking
our government, they will present their bill to
Carranza at the point of the sword. Though
Britain and France are engaged in war, their su-
premacy at sea leaves them sufficient resources
to emphasize any demand that they wish to make
by demonstration at Vera Cruz against which
Carranzas government could do nothing at all
We may, therefore, have presented to us the in
structive spectacle of European governments vim
dcating in Mexico the rights Of their citizens,
while the rights Of Americans are trampled upon
there with impunity. Can we imagine the Monroe
doctrine brought into worse Slough Of Despond
| than that?