The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-03-30

line into American territory, to kill
ard wound all told some 81 Americans,
including American women, American
soldiers in the American uniform ana
the American collector of customs?
Cites Tampico Attacks.
Does Mr.. Wilson mean that it was
the owners of property in Mexico VINO
secured the attack on American ana
other foreign men, women ana chill
dren at Tampico and secured also the
direction by President Wilson and Sec
rotary Daniels to the American war
vessels at Tampico to steam away and
leave German and English vessels to
protect the American civilians. to
whom Mr.. Wilson had denied the pro-
lection of the stars and stripes?
Does Mr.. Wilson mean that prop
erty owners in Mexico were respon-
sible for his alternately placing and
lifting the embargo on the export OF
arms and munitions to Mexico until
every bandit who wished arms with
which to shoot Americans had them?
Does Mr.. Wilson mean that these
property owners got him to go to war
by taking Vera Cruz after fighting in
which several hundred Americans and
Mexicans lost their lives, this war be-
ing entered into for the purpose of
getting the flag saluted, and then
abandoned by Mr.. Wilson without get
ting it saluted?
Anarchy Rcigns Three Years.
For three years there has been
murderous anarchy in Mexico, fright
full destruction of property, frightful
destruction of life, namelesS infamieS
committed on women and every ele-
ment making for law and order sys-
tematicany hunted down and de-
stroyed or driven out of the country.
Mr.. Wilson, through these three
years, has actively interfered in Mex
leo and throughout the time he has
consistently interfered on behalf of
some representative of banditry or the
forces of anarchy. He has done every
thing he could against or in disregard
of the men who represent the only
chance to get peace and orderly lib
erty for the Mexican people.
He is now engaged in a second war
in Mexico. He is waging a war
against Villa, with whom but little
more than a year ago he concluded
what was, in effect a treaty of peace
and friendship formally entered into
through one of the highest officers of
the United States army, General Scott,
by President Wilson's direction
photographs of General Villa and
General Scott and the other partici-
pants in this extraordinary bit of
treaty making were published broad
cast throughout the press.
Il most earnestly wish peace in
Mexico and with Mexico and every
step Mr.. Wilson has taken with re-
years has tended to make peace inn
possible.
Helped Both Sides in Mex
THE great war in Europe has now
been waged for twenty months. Mex
lean armed forces have been killing
and wounding Americans at intervals
for five years, yet under the presi-
dents lead, our government has failed
to make the smallest measure of pref
paredness. As regards Mexico, our
government has apparently believed it
could insure peace by helping first one
and then another among the warning
chiefs of banditry and now it is en-
deavOring to prop up Carranza against
its former favcrite, Villa.
In his message to congress of De-
cember, 1914. President Wilson as
serted we were thoroughly prepared
to defend our rights and that it was
hysterical and panicKy to talk of the
need of further preparedness. He has
since forced out of the cabinet a sec
rotary of war because the president
would not back even the small and in
sufficient measures of preparedness
which the secretary of war advocated
AerOpiancs and Submarines.
In consequence. as Mr.. Wilson
himself said in one of his speeches last
February. he has been exposed to the
humiliation of being unable to patrol
our own borders to protect it against
bandits. He broke down completely
even in the preparedness necessary for
the minute expedition that has gone
into Mexico. Our aeroplane service
went to pieces just as previously our
submarine service ha.G gone to pieces
The army and navy officers are not in
the least to blame, but the president
and his subordinates whose actions
for the last three yours have caused
these calamities are woefully to blame.
Our troops are now 800 miles in
Mexico
government is trying to buy automo-
bile trucks for them in Michigan.
The president is right to use the
word humiliation. 1t is that and more
than that for the American people and
it represents CHASTITY misconduct on
the part of our governmental officials
in the past three years.
IF there is this complete break
down on the part of the government of
this great and wealthy nation of 1OO-
100000 inhabitants in dealing with a
bandit raid, think of the hideous dis
aster that would befall us under such
government if we ever were men,
aced by serious foe.
Too Proud to Fight.
Immediately after the sinking of
the Lusitania President Wilson made
his famous speech about our being
too proud to fight
"A few days later. on May 27, as
reported in the New York papers, he
explained that he was not willing to
speak about patriotism at Independ-
, ence hall at Philadelphia on July 5,
saying:
This is perhaps the very time
when L would not care to arouse the
sentiment of patriotism
The other day in his speech at the
Gridiron club he was reported as say
| ing that he would be as much
/ ashamed of being rash as of being
( cowardly-which stands on an exact
par with statement by a woman that
/ she would be as ashamed of being
quick tempered as of being unchase,
\ These three sentence are euuiva-
| lent to the statement that patriotism
is sometimes a dangerous virtue and
| cowardice venial vice. nation
whose official heads conduct its for
| elgn affairs and handle its army and
navy in accordance with these princi-