Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-08-26
Editors Letter Box


Continued from Page Six)
leans. relying upon this treaty, invested
their money in Mexican railroads. Mex
lean mines, oil fields ana ranches. Sub
sequently trouble arose. The property
Of our fellow citizens was confscated,
their mines flooded, their machinery
destroyed, their stock driven away,
their ranch houses burned, their wives
and daughters by the hundred outraged
in the presence Of husbands, fathers
and brothers, the owners, operators and
employees were tortured in every con-
ceivable and in many uncomfortable
ways unit, the files of the State De-
partment reeked with. suppressed re-
ports of these horrors both officially
and privately transmitted, when this
advocate of participation in worldwide
business, President Woodrow Wilson
took sufficient notice Of the matter to
advise survivors to come home, which
involved leaving all prospects behind
and becoming dependent upon friends
or objects Of charity. He asked Con-
gress to appropriate money to pay their
actual expenses back and signed the
bill passed in obedience to his orders.
In the face Of all this insistence of
President Woodrow Wilson that the
time had come when the United States
must play a great part in the world is
an insult to every American who cher
ishes the fundamentl rights Of citizen
ship, and who still honors the flag that
hitherto has stood for human rights,
human liberty and international re-
spect and honor. I submit the United
States Of America ought to quit making
treaties securing to it's citizens the
right to participate IN foreign devel-
opment and achievement and the right
to dwell in foreign lands, or 1t ought
| to give some assurance that when Am
orleans have taken advantage Of the
privileges vouchsafed thereby the gov
eminent will justify its existence by
discharging the responsibilities that eX-
istence imposes. Bob Ingersoll de-
clared many years ago that the flag
that will not protect its own is dirty
rag that communicates the air in which
it floats.
| l am not even intimating that we
should intervene in Mexico. On that
subject, at this time, express no opin-
ion. / only insist that Woodrow Will
son as President Of the United States
of America, ought to square his admin
istration with his utterances or quit
making utterances. If too proud to
fight then he should quit talking about
knocking people down and sitting on
them. No one needs to fight if willing
to pay the price of peace. A man
awakened in the night by a masked
and armed intruder if too proud to
fight, and if willing to witness the
despoiling of his goods and the name
less disgrace Of his wire and daugh-
tiers. will probably escape bodily harm.
but my previous admiration for such
an one however great, would suffer ser
iously if. under such conditions, he
should ask the ruff1an to desist until he
could write him a note. l insist the
United States of America ought to be a
| government or it should vacate the
map.
About two years ago the good people
of Honduras gave evidence of advanc-
ing civilization by seeking foreign cap
ital to dredge its harbor and build rail-
roads into it's interior. They offered a
concession of land on either side Of the
proposed railroads. Certain Americans
were found who seemed to agree with
Mr.. Wilson that The time for provin-
cial thinking had gone by and who
were willing that the United States,
| oh v>1a Ut I'm, "a uynr16
They offered to accept the concession
and to furnish the necessary money
provided the government at Washing
ton would approve When the matter
was submitted approval was denied.
They were accused to their faces of
wanting to make money. They were
told that If they desired land in Hon
duras they should be willing to buy it
at the market price after they had
builded the roads. dredged the harbor,
and had thus made it worth owning.
The Americans proved to be too pro-
vincial to undertake the enterprise
either as a matter Of philanthropy or
with no other financial possibility than
current rates of interest if they sue
ceeded and total loss if they failed.
Then foreign capital was sought and
found But the foreigners would not
invest within the jurisdiction OF the
Monroe Doctrine without consent from
Washington, and Washington declined
to permit foreign capital to develop
the resources of an American republic.
So Honduras is deprived Of her internal
improvements, the development Of her
resources is delayed, her commerce
languishes and the world loses the
products of that fair land, yet nothing
seems likely to deter President Wood
row Wilson from declaiming with great
gusto and in excellent English Of the
Unprecedented opportunity" and the
| greatly increased responsibility of
I American business men so soon as they
divest themselves of provincial think
ing and acting.
| I cannot dismiss Mr.. Wilson's indict-
ment without paying my respects to
| government owned and operated mercan-
tile marine which he so much desires.
/ All business stands on three legs. No
business man stands on two legs. Capital