New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-03-30
T. R. PUTS MEXICO
UP TO PRESIDENT
Continued from page !

Army. General Scott, by President vii
sons direction.
81 most earnestly wish peace in
Mexico and with Mexico, and every
step Mr.. Wilson has taken with regard
10 Mexico for the last three years has
tended to make peace impossible.
Failed 20 Prepare.
1.-THE great war In Europe has now
been waged for twenty months. Next
can armed forces have been Killing and
wounding Americans at intervals tor
five wears. vet under the President
lead our government has failed TO
make the smallest measure Of prepared
ness. As regards Mexico, our govern
ment has apparently believed it could
insure peace by helping first one and
then another among the warning chiefs
of banditry. and now il is endeavoring
TO prop up Carranza against It's former
favorite, Villa.
an his message TO Congress Of De
cember, 1914. President Wilson assert
ed we were thoroughly prepared to de-
fend our rights, and that it was hysteri-
cal and panicky TO talk of the need Of
further preparedness. He has since
forced out of the Cabinet a Secretary
of War because the President would
not back even the small and insult
ficient measure of preparedness which
the Secretary of War advocated.
an consequence, as Mr.. Wilson him
self said in one of his speeches last
February, he has been exposed to the
humiliation Of being unable TO patrol
our own border TO protect it against
bandits. We broke down completely
even in the preparedness necessary
for the minute expedition that has
gone into Mexico. Our aeroplane ser
vice went 10 pieces, just as previously
our submarine service had gone 10
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 years have
caused these calamities, are wofully
TO blame.
"Our troops are now 800 miles in
Mexico, and It is announced that the
government is trying TO buy autcmo-
bile trucks for them in Michigan. The
President Is right TO use the word 'hu-
initiation. II is that, and more than
that, for the American people, and 1t
represents CHASTITY misconduct on the
part of our governmental officials IN
the past three years.
Complete Breakdown.
"If there is this complete break
down on the part Of the government
OF this great and wealthy nation Of
i00.OO0.0OO inhabitants in dealing with
bandit raid, think Of the hideous
disaster that would befall US under
such n government II We ever were
menaced by a serious foe.
Immediately after the sinking oi
the Lusitania President Wilson made
his famous speech about our being toC
proud to fight. A few days later, on
May 2T. he explained that ne was MOI
willing TO speak about patriotism n
independence Hall, at Philadelphia, m
July ., saying: This Is perhaps The
very time when | would not care "
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 woman that she would
be as ashamed of being quick tempered
as of being unchaste.
These three sentences are equiva-
lent 20 the statement that patriotism
is sometimes a dangerous virtue and
cowardico yenial vice. A naticr
whose official heads conduct its foreign
affairs and handle its army and navy
in accordance with these principle
will encounter precisely such eXper'-
ences as this nation has encountered
! during the last three years, and xii.
earn for itself the possibility OF The
most terrible disgrace ard disaster II
| the future"