Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1916-02-16
ROOT ATTACKS FOREIGN
Continued from Page One)
for which wise fOrethought should
make provision.


Europe Paraiyzed.
"More important still, the war has
paralyzed the peaceful industries of
all Europe, and has stopped that
competitive foreign production which
in July, 1914, had already entered
American markets to supersede Am
erican products under the Tariff Law
Of 1918. The war has thus given
to American products an immunity
from competition far more effective
than any possible protective tariff.
But that is temporary, and when the
war is over, when foreign produc.
ton begins again, the American mar
ket. compared with impoverished
Europe, will be more than ever be-
fore the object of desire and effort,
and we shall become the dumping
ground of the world to the destruc-
ton of our own industries, unless
that is prevented by a wise and COM
petent government
Taking up foreign relations, Mr..
Root said that for the first time with
in the memory Of men now living
these relations "are recognized as
vital" He took up first the Mexi-
can problem, reviewing the situation
when President Wilson was inaugur-
ated.
''His duty then was plain Mr..
Root declared. 1T was, first, to use
his powers as President, to secure
protection for the lives and proper
ty Of Americans in Mexico and to re-
quire that the rules Of law and stipu-
lations of treaties should be observed
by Mexico toward the United States
and its citizens. His duty was, sec
ond, as the head of a foreign power,
to respect the independence of Mex
leo. to refrain from all interference
with her internal affairs. from all
attempt at domination, except as he
was justified by the law OF nations
for the protection Of American rights. |
1.-THE President of the United
States failed to observe either OF |
those duties. He deliberately aban-
doned them both and followed an en-
tirely different and inconsistent pur-
pose. He interviewed in Mexico to
aid one faction in civil strife against
another. He undertook to pull down
Huerta and set Carranza up in his
place. Huerta was in possession He
claimed to be the constitutional pres
ident of Mexico. He certainly was
the de facto president of Mexico.
Rightly or wrongly, good or bad, he
was there
Mexican Intervention.
Mr.. Root reviewed our subsequent
relations with Mexico, declaring that
the United States INTERVIEWED in
Mexico to control the internal affairs
by threat, yb economic pressure and
by force of arms" and that the
American government ignored, con-
doned, the murder of American men,
and the rape of American women
and the destruction of American
property and insult to American Of
ficers and defilement of the Ameri-
can flag and Joined itself to the men
who were guilty Of all these things
to pull down the power of Huerta .
"The results of this interference
were most unfortunate" Mr.. Root
continued. IF our government had
sent an armed force into Mexico to
protect American life and honor we
might have been opposed, but we
should have been understood and re-
spected by the people Of Mexico, be-
cause they would have realized that
we were acting within our Internal
ional rights and performing ma
tons duty for the protection of its
own people; but when the president
sent an armed force into Mexico to
determine the Mexican presidential
succession he created resentment
and distrust of motives among all
classes and sections of the Mexican !
people. l
with the occupation of Vera Cruz
the moral power of the United
D.a,-s IN Mexico ended. We were |
then and we are now hated for what
we did for our feeble and irresolute |
failure to protect the lives and rights
of our citizens. No flag is so dis
honored and no citizenship SO little
worth the claiming in Mexico as ours.
And that is why we have failed in
Mexico.
"And for the death and outrage,
the suffering and ruin of our own
brethren, the hatred and contempt
for our country, and the dishonor OF
our name in that land, the admins
tration at Washington shares respon-
sibility with the inhuman brutes
with whom it made common cause
European Policy.
Mr.. Root turned to the administra.
tons European policy. declaring that
some of the people were "dissatisfied
for specific reasons, some with
vague impression that our diplomacy
has been inadequate. AT this point
in his address the speaker enumer-
ated what he declared were the adj
ministration's three fundamental err
rors." As to the first of these
Lack Of foresight to make timely
provision for backing up American
diplomacy by actual or assured mill
tary and naval force'-Mr. Root
pointed to immediate mobilization by
Switzerland and Holland, and con-
tinued:
Ordinary knowledge of European
affairs made it plain that the war
was not begun by accident but with
purpose which would not soon be re-
iinquished. Ordinary knowledge of
military events made it plan from
the moment when the tide of German
invasion turned from the Battle of
the Marine that the conflict was GER
tain to, be long and desperate. Or
binary knowledge Of history-of our
own history during the Napoleonic
Wars-made it plain that in that
conflict neutral rights would be