Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-06-20

of the American troops. Meantime,
conditions of anarchy in the border
states of Mexico were continually
growing worse.
Unreasonable Demand
In view of this increasing menace,
of the inactivity of the Carranza forces,
of the lack of cooperation in the ap-
prehension of the Villa bands and of
the known encoura cement and aid
given to bandit leaders, it is unreason-
able to expect the United States to
withdraw it's forces from Mexican ter
ritory or to prevent their entry again
when their presence is the only check
upon further bandit outrages and the
only efficient means of protecting
American lives and homes-safeguard
which General Carranza, though inter
nationally obligated TO supply, is mani
testify unable or unwilling to give.
I'm view of the actual state of af-
fairs as | have outlined it above, l am
now in position to consider the con-
clusions which you have drawn in
your note under acknowledgment from
the erroneous statements of fact which
you have set forth.
Intimatcs Distrustful Attitude
Your government intimates, if does
rot openly charge, that the attitude
of the United States is one of in
sincerity, distrust and suspicion to-
ward the de facto government of Mex
leo and that the intention of the U. S.
Is to extend its sovereignty over
Mexican territory, and not merely for
the purpose of pursuing marauders
and preventing future raids across the
border. The de facto government
charges by implication which admits
of but one Interpretation, that this
government has as its object territorial
aggrandizement even at the expense
n a a
neighbor weakened by years of civil
strife. The government of the United
States, if it had had designs upon the
territory of Mexico would have had no
difficulty in finding during this period
of revolution and disorder many
plausible arguments for Intervention
in Mexican affairs. Hoping, however
that the people of Mexico would
through their own efforts restore
peace and establish an orderly gov
ernment, the United States has await
ed with patience the consummation of
the revolution.
Imputations Not Justified
"In the face of constantly renewed
evidences of the patience and restraint
of this government in circumstances
which only a government imbued with
unselfishness and a sincere desire to
respect to the full the sovereign rights
and national dignity of the Mexican
people would have endured, doubts
and suspicious as to the motives of
the government of the United States
arc expressed in your communication
of May %, for which | can imagine no
purpose but to impugn the good faith
of this government for / find it hard
to believe that such imputations are
not universally known to be without
the least shadow of justification in
fact
Frontier Must BE Protected
"I have, of course, given considera-
ton to your argument that the re-
spcnsibility for the present situation
rests largely upon this government.
In the first place, you state that even
the American forces along the border
whose attention is undivided by other
military operations, find themselves
physically unable to protect effectively
the frontier on the American side
Obviously, If there is no means of
rea ching bands rowing on Mexican
territory and making sudden dashes
at night into American territory 1t is
impossible to prevent such inVasions
unless the frontier is protected by a
Gordon of troops. No government
could be expected to maintain a force
of this strength along the boundary
of nation with which it is at peace
for the purpose of resisting the on
slaughts of a few bands of lawless
!. men, especially Wnen IIe nelSnDOGlnB
State makes no effort to pevent these
attacks. The most effective method
of preventing raids of this nature, as
past experience has fully demonstrated,
Is to visit punishment or destruction
on the raiders. 1t is precisely this
plan which the United States desires
| to follow. It Is in fact protection to
American lives and property about
which the United States is solictous
and not the methods or ways in which
that protection shall be accomplished.
If the Mexican government is unwill-
ing or unable to give this protection
by preventing its territory from being
the rendezvous and refugee of murder
ere and plunderers, that does not re-
lieve this government from its duty to
take all the steps necessary to safe
guard American citizens on American
soil. The United States government
cannot and will not allow bands of
lawless men to establish themselves
upon its borders with liberty to invade
and plunder American territory with
impunity and, when pursued, to seek
safety across the Rio Grande, relying
upon the plea of their government
that the integrity of the soil of the
Mexican republic must not be
violated.
argued that II the frontier were duly
protected from incursions from Mex
| leo there would be no reason for the
existing difficulty;' thus the defacto
government attempt to absolve itself
| from the first duty of any government.
namely, the protection of life and
property. This is the paramount obli-
cation for which governments are in
stituted and governments neglecting
or failing to perform it are not worthy
of the name. This is the duty for
which General Carranza, II must be
assumed, initiated his revolution in
Mexico and organized the present gov
ernment and for which the United