Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1916-12-26
THE COLLAPSE Of A
MONUMENTAL BLUFF
That is What a Brownsville Editor
Calls the Mobilization Of
National Guard.


the United States government in
many years. The United States may
be many things but it does not pos
sess the attributes of a successful
poker player, at least not to that ex-
tent which will enable it to win
against the b~ewhiskered jefe of
Mexico. It is the life of the game
to put we a successful bluff, but it's
hell to have it called when you
haven't the cards. AS a climax to
one of the innumerable crises which
have Uttered the path of the Amer
lean policy in Mexico. a hundred
thousand state soldiers were torn
from their homes and occupations
for no other reason than to impress
|Carranza with the idea that at a
moments notice this country could
assemble a force Of fighting men
along the border of sufficient size to
|overturn the Mexican republic. It
was a bluff pure and simple in the
hope that C%arranza would be scar
ed into behaving himself, and that
while in this condition would give a
decent hearing to American -diplo-
mats. But Carranza was not a
ed a little bit. TOT prove he knew
the American government was only
bluffing he staged the ambuscade at
Parral, the massacre at Carrizal, and
the several %invasions in the Big Bend
country. The American government,
finding it's bluff called, and desiring
to save its face, dropped its pre-
tense of having sent the Guardsmen
to the border on a warlike mission
and changed the name of the show.
Instead of ordering the boys on the
firing line, as every mothers son Of
them expected when they left home,
they were put to drilling and hiking
and digging trenches and doing
mimic warfare. It wouldn't have
sounded nice to announce the bluff
had failed and to have ordered the
troops home at the same time, SO
they have been sent home in drib-,
bles, and a deep sympathy for the
railroads found it e%xpedient to order
state organizations to the border for
a week or more. AS a matter of fact
there was never any occasion for or
dering militia to the border, unless
it was necessary to show the people
of this country the truth about it's
unprepared condition. The only
thing which prevented an early So
luton of the. border trouble was the
deep concern manifested by our gov
eminent over a possible violation Of
Mexican neutrality. Had the order
permitting the regulars and peace
officers to follow a hot trail been in
force from the beginning the Mex
lean problem in SO far as it related
to bandit troubles along the border,
would have been short lived, but so
long as a few bandits were permit
ted to cross the river and commit
crimes and then find safety the in
slant they recrossed to Mexican soil,
the trouble continued. Witness how
quickly it subsidized when orders were
issued to pursue the raiders into for
fnrritnrv TNyro NTovsnc~ k.o,,l1-
will be settled by bluffing, and
it will never be settled until this
government calls for a new deck and
changes it's style of play. We could
invade Mexico and would doubtless
be able to overcome it's armies and
occupy the cities. but that would
only be the commencement of
trouble, and regardless of how thor
oughly we did the job it would not
prove a cure. This country must
realize that a lack of conf
dence on the part of the Mexican
people regarding the United States is
the basis of the strained relations
existing between the two countries
and until they can establish a feel
ing of confidence toward us condi-
tions will not improve.
We are not going to improve con-
ditions by bluffing, for every time
our bluff is called it results in added
contempt on the part of the Mexican
people, and it adds strength to the
arm Of the leaders who at present
are despoiling Mexico, and prevents
men of recognized ability from TAX
ing an interest in the government of
country.
1t goes without saying that peo-
Pile of the border rejoiced to have
The G%uardsmen with them. 1t has
in the forming of many ties
Of friendship and has led to a
strengthening of our national
to say nothing of the
financial side of the question:,
,ut as a solution of the Mex
can problem the great bluff has
proven a monumental failure,Nand all
he good which results must be