The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1916-04-14

upon ms prosperity.
One of these is our relations with
the countries now at war. Very prop
erly, the administration is not making
public everything which is going on
between it and the warning nations.
Developments of the last two weeks,
however, seem to make our relations
with Germany even more critical than
they have been. Beginning March list,
Germany put into effect her new sub
marine campaign. She gave notice
that merchant vessels carrying arms
and ammunition and food to her enc
mics would be torpedoed without
warning, if they are armed, Since
that time, several such vessels have
been sunk; and in the case of two or
three of them, it seems quite clear
that they were sunk by German torpe-
does. There has been some little loss
of life, and some American citizens
have been drowned.
Press dispatches from Washington
seem to indicate that even President
Wilson is losing faith in his notes to
Germany, and may at any time now
summarily break off diplomatic rela-
tions with that country. About the
only hope of averting this trouble is
that Germany may realize the danger
to her which would result from a break
with the United States. 1t is not alone
the question of the damage she would
suffer while the war continues. When
the war closes, Germany will need very
much the help of the United States,
not alone in what we may be able to
do toward bringing about satisfactory
peace conditions, but in re-establish-
ing her industries and her prosperity.
While the war continues, Germany can
get along fairly well in money mat |
tiers. She is having little dealing with |
outside countries. All she needs to do
to meet the needs of trade within her
own borders is to grind out paper
money, which her people loyalty ac-
cept. Once the war is over, however,
and she undertakes to get back on |
satisfactory financial basis, she must
have large amounts of real money. If |
she gets through the war without SER
ious trouble with the United States,
there will be no difficulty in getting
help here; but if break should come
between US, this help will not be so
freely offered. For these reasons,
there is still hope that trouble with
Germany may be averted
Second, as to Mexico Several thou
sands of our soldiers started after the
bandit Villa, who attacked New Mex
lean town and killed number of our
people. The soldiers did not get off,
however, until Villa had weeks start
information of reliable sort is al
most impossible to obtain; but our
troops are now some three hundred
miles into Mexico, and apparently
Villa has divided his band of cut
threats and taken to the mountains.
Our progress has been greatly ham ]
pered through the unwillingness of ,
Carranza, the most responsible COM g
mander in Mexico, to render any as
sistance. 1t was not until the middle
Of last week that he consented to per-
NIT us to use the railroad in northern
Mexico, and this consent applies APP
parently only to the transportation Of
supplies to our men. Apparently
Carranza, who has been at war with I
Villa, allowed the latter to escape, G
when he might have intercepted him Y
until our troops could come up It is, i
If course, possible that our men may a
succeed in cornering this bandit, but c
he prospects do not seem favorable; c
md the longer we are in there, the =
sreater the danger of a break between i
Jarranza and the United States v
roops. There seems, therefore, to be
very strong probability that we are |,
n Mexico for some little time, and S
nance that we may be compelled to a
aise a good-sized army and take over "
earnest the task of policing Mexico
nd re-establishing law and order; in n
hort, do there what we have been do f,
ng in Cuba and the Philippines. 81
On top of these two difficulties with IL
Their nations appears an internal trou P
lie which may materialize into a very
erious matter. For some little time, D,
he railroad engineers, firemen, con in
uctors and other trainmen have been es
gitating an increase in wages. These bt
zen represent four different organ nj
atoms, with a total membership in
lie neighborhood of 100000 men. q
hose four organizations have banded sa
together, and demand ten co
'urs' pay for eight hours work. In til
me cases the demand seems to be we
II