Arizona sentinel., 1916-10-19
By HON. FRANKLIN K. LANE,
Secretary of Interior.

Those who are familiar with the
 feelings of the South and Centra American countries toward the United States know that just at the time when our forces occupied Vera Cruz a very intense fear had seized upon Latin America. They believed in their hearts that we were on ourf march SOuthward and that the presidents Mo- bile speech and other generous utter ances of the same sort were to be ta- ken in a Pickwickian sense.
 We had sought to bring to our sym pathetic support all of the South Amer ican countries. They also were anx- ious for settlement of this trouble upon some basis that would safeguard ! the interests of Mexico and conserve i that unity which is the soul of the great Pan-American movement. Some of them thought that they saw a greedy hand from the north reaching down with no benevolent purpose, and if it had laid hold upon Mexico none of thief knew but that it might be their turn next.
 This fear of the big brother is a very real one in Latin America They think of the Mexican war of 1S46 as an uniustifiable aggression on our part; they think of the Panama incl dent as a robbery: they misconstrue our purpose in San Domingo, and in Nicaragua, and they do not trust us They fear that the spirit of imper- ialism is upon the American people and that the Monroe doctrine may be construed one day as doctrine that will give the whole Western Hemis- phere to the United States; that it is doctrine of selfishness and not a doc Urine of altruism.
 When they presented plan of med iation. the United States had no choice but to accept it. Indeed if we had refused to accept it Latin America would have been justified in doubting our good faith. No one that I am aware of, either Republican or Demo crat, has ever criticized the president for accepting the mediation of Argen- tina, Brazil and Chile, and abiding strictly by the agreement reached at Niagara Falls.
 By the protocols there signed on June 23, 1914, the United States agreed that the selection of privisional and constitutional president be left who'll ly to the MeXicans, and we guaranteed our recognition of them when chosen. This made clear our desire not to in terfere in any way in the settlement of MeXico's domestic troubles, and as a further proof of our disinterested friendship for the Mexican people the United States agreed not to claim any war indemnity or other international satisfaction from Mexico. We had gone to Vera Cruz ito serve mankind" Our only quarrel was with Huerta, and Huerta got out on July 16, 1914. Our forces were withdrawn from Vera Cruz on November g, following.
 Three days after Huerta left Mex ico, Villa began levying taxes upon his own authority, and it was plain that the successful revolutionists would soon be fighting between themselves. Both Carranza and Villa agreed to conference at Aguacealientes, and it was stipulated that no soldiers were to be there; but Villa turned up with an armed force that terrorized the con- vention and prevented it from recog- nizing Carranza and in a short time open warfare began between the two factions.
 Villa and Carranza had broken and there was double sovereignty claim ed even on our border in Northern Mexico. Things were going from bad to worse, and it was suggested in tho ca hinot that tboro chO11Id ho cOnp