The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1916-10-11


government in Mexico City. Many
days of street fighting followed. Sew.
eral hundred Mexican civilians were
Klltd, including two American wo-
men.
II was in Februarv, during Pres
ident Taft's administration, that Ma.
dero was killed and Huerta demands
ed recognition; but there was no
recognition of Huerta and no inter
vention under the Taft adminlst IA
ton.
On March Is, 1911, a few days
more than two years after President
Taft was inaugurated and about two
years before his term expired, Pres
ident Taft addressed a letter to the
chief of staff. and in that letter he
declined to do the very things Re-
publicans are now denouncing Pres
ident Wilson for not doing.
Following is an extract from Pres
ident Taft's letter:
"The assumption by the press that
| contemplate Intervention on Mex
lean soil to protect American lives
or property, is of course gratuitous,
because | seriously doubt whether
have such authority. ..... Indeed,
as you know, | have already declin-
ed. without Mexican consent, to or
der a troop of cavalry to protect the
breakwater we are constructing just
across the border in Mexico at the
mouth of the Colorado river to save
the Imperial Valley, although the
insurrectos have scattered the Next
can troops and we're taking our
horses and supplies and frightening
orr workmen. away
On April Il, 1911, the Governor
of Arizona sent a telegram to the
President. reading in part as fol-
lows:
LAS a result of to-day's fighting
across the international line, but
within gunshot range of the heart of
Douglas, five Americans were wound
ed on this side of the line. .......
In my judgment radical measures
are needed to protect our innocent
people. .... 1t will be impossible
to safeguard the people of Douglas
unless the town be vacated
To this telegram President Taft
replied as follows
THE situation might Justify me
in ordering our troops across the
border. ..... but if | take this
step, | must face the possibility of
greater resistance and greater blood
shed, and also the danger of having
our motives misconsirued and mis-
represented and of thus intiaming
Mexican popular indignation. ....
Il is impossible to foresee or reckon
the consequences of such course;
and We must use the greatest self
restraint to avoid it. | cannot there
fore order the troops at Douglas to
cross the border, but must ask you
and the local authorities in case the
same danger occurs, to direct the
people of Douglas TO place them
selves where bullets cannot reach
them, and thus avoid casualty"
The only difference between the
Wilson policy and the Taft policy
was that Mr.. Wilson called it
"watchful waiting" while Mr.. Taft
called it patient non-intervention."
(See Message 1922
On November 26, 1910. the Out
look. which became famous by rea-
son of the fact that Theodore Roose-
welt was its contributing editor, had
an editorial calling attention to the
anti-American demonstrations which
have lately taken place in Mexico"
in which great demonstrations We're
made, mobs broke windows in build
ings, occupied by Americans. attack
ed newspaper Offices favorable to
Americans and attacked street cars
containing Americans"
On March %, 1911, the Outlook
said that events in Mexico are very
confusing" and on April 22, it de-
clared that Mexico presented "a Sc
rious state of affairs"
1t was on April 20. 1911, that
Senator Stone. Democrat, insisted
that President Taft be authorized
to employ whatever force might be
necessary to restore order in Mexi-
CO. Senator Root, now one of Pres
dent Wilson's most bitter critics,
said that a threat of force would be
ITO reverse the policy of the United
States and take a step backward in
the path of civilization" Senator
Lodge. Republican, and another bit
ter critic of the Wilson administra-
ton, said that President Taft would
not ask for force until our diplo-
matte methods had failed.
II Wac IN A nril % IQ11 durin Z,