The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1916-03-29
PRESIDENT WILSON
ISSUES WARNING
TO PEOPLE OF UNITED STATES
AGAINST VACCINATIONS OF
UNsCRUPULOUs COTERIE


Washington, March 25.-President
Wilson tonight issued warning that
sinister and unscrupulous influences
are spreading alarmist reports about
the Mexican situation with the object
of forcing intervention by the United
States ''in the interest of certain
American owners of Mexican prop
critics."
In q formal statement the president
told the people to be on their guard
and not to credit such stories. He
called attention again to the govern
ment's announcement that the sole
object of the punitive expedition was
to punish Villa and his followers:
The news services had been asked,
the president said. to assist in keep
ing this view constantly before the
Mexican and American people. The
warning was issued after careful
consideration of many official reports
from throughout the United States
and Mexico saying that alarmists'
stories of the intentions of the Wash
ington government were having an
undesirable effect upon the Mexican
people and the American residents
in Mexico. -....
The possibility that Gen. Carranza's
hand might be weakened to a perilous
extent should the Mexican public mis-
understand the American expedition
has been a prevailing factor in the
entire operations against Villa. -,
Drastic steps may be taken II the
warning is not needed.
The presidents statement follows:
Only One Purpose.
GAS has already been announced,
the expedition into Mexico was or
dered under an agreement with the
de facto government of Mexico for
the single purpose of taking the ban
dit Villa, whose forces had actually
invaded the territory of the United
States, and is in no sense intended as
an invasion of that republic or as an
of its sovereignty. l
have therefore asked the several news
services to be good enough to assist
the administration in keeping this
view of the expedition constantly be-
fore both the people of this country
and the distressed and sensitive peo-
ple of Mexico, who are very suscep--
tible indeed to impressions received
from the American press not only but
also very ready to believe that those
proceed from the views
and objects of our government itself.
Such conclusions, it must be said, are
not unnatural because the main II
not the only source of information
for the people on both sides of the
border is the public press Of the Unit
ed States. .
"In order to avoid the creation of
erroneous and dangerous impressions
in this way, have called upon the
several news agencies to use the ut
most care not to give news stories re-
garding this expedition the color of
war, to withhold stories Of troop
and military preparations,
which might be given that interpre-
tation and to refrain from publishing
unverifed rumors Of unrest in Mex
leo.
Should Show Clean Hands.
81 feel that it is most desirable to
impress upon both our own people
and the people of Mexico the fact
that the expedition is simply neces-
sary punitive measure, aimed solely
at the elimination of the marauders
who raided Columbus and who infest
an unprotected district near the bor-
der which they use as base in MAX
ing attacks upon the lives and prop
erty of our citizens within our own
territory. 1t is the purpose of our
commanders to cooperate in every
possible way with the force of Gen.
Carranza in removing this cause of
irritation to both governments and
to retire from Mexican territory as
soon as that object is accomplished.
at is my duty to warn the people
of the United States that there are
persons all along the border who are
actively engaged in originating and
giving as wide currency as they can
to rumors of the most sensational and
disturbing sort which are wholly un-
justified by the facts The object of
this traffic in falsehood is obvious.
It is to create intolerable friction be-
tween the government of the United
States and the de facto government
of Mexico for the purpose of bringing
about intervention in the interest of
certain American owners of Mexican
properties. This object can not be
attained so long as sane and honor
able men are in conrtol of this gov
ernment, but very serious conditions
may be created, unnecessary blood
shed may result and the relations be-
tween the two republics may be very
much embarrassed.
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