Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1916-10-22
BlAMES WILSON
FOR SLAUGHTER
OF AMERICANS

OF AMERICANS
CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE
and irreiutable condemnation of his
own policy towards Mexico and to-
wards CarranZa.
rms authoritative statement issued
by Mt Wilson through his secretary
OF state sets forth that for three wears
there mas been continuous bloodshed
ana disorder in MeNlcO: mat Amcri-
cons have been Darbarouslv muir
dered, and vast properties developed
by American capital and enterprise
destroyed; that the murdcrers have
not been brought to justice; that dur
ing the past nine months there have
been constant invasions. depredations
ma murders on American soil by
Mexican bandits; that American sol
dlers L-vc been killed: American
ranches raded American railway
trains wrecked and plundered. and
American towns destroyed; and that
/ tarranza's soldiers and adhercnts took
part in the looting. burning and kill
ing; that the murders were charac-
terized by ruthless brutality and bar
harouS mutilation; that some of the
leaders in these atrocities have not
only received protection but encour-
agement and aid from Carranza's gov
ernment: that during this time there
was instance after instance of the
/ bdrbarous slaughter of unoffending
Americans in Mexico itself, in addi-
tion to the hoinous crimes committed
/ in numbering. burning and plunder-
/ ing on American soil; that Carranza's
generals made no effort to stop the
crimes, and that CarranZa himself
was either unable or else considered
/ II undesirable to punish the criminals;
| that CarranZa gave neither Co-Opcra-
tlon nor assistance to the American
troops who pursued the bandits: that
on the contrary, Carranza's adherents
matted the American pursuit at Parral
tand became the protectors of Villa
and his bandits; and that CarranZa's
government has shown that it does
not intend nor desire that the outlaws,
bandits and criminals who have been
guilty of these murders and outrages
shall be captured, destroyed or
dispersed, either by American troops
or by Mexican troops.
BE Comfortcd
Mr.. Wilson became frightened.
bowed in abject submission to Car
ianza, kissed the hand that was red
with blood of American men and
women, and, inasmuch as he dared
not hold CarranZa responsible, began
in unmanly fashion to scold Car
ranza's wretched American victims.
Mr.. Wilson says he has kept us out
OF war" The Democratic platform
says that the MeXicans have made
war upon and murdered our people"
For once the Democratic platform told
the truth. Mr.. Wilson says that some
of the murdered men were barbarous-
ly mutilated. In the press one such
case of mutilation is described. Two
troopers of the Twelfth United
States cavalry, Henry Stubblefield and
Richard johnson, one from Virginia
and one from New York, were killed
by Carranza's troops at Progreso,
Texas, on September 20, 1915. Stub |
blefield's body was found soon after
the fight. Johnson was reported !
missing. but Mexican prisoners in
formed our officers that Johnson had |
been tortured and beheaded, his body |
thrown into the Rio Grande and his |
head and ears cut off and displayed
to the populace of the Mexican town |
of Conception as evidence that Amer |
lean troops had been routed This |
was not an exceptional instance; ii |
was typical of what has gone on un-
checked in Mexico.
Mr.. Wilson and his followers are |
fond of asking, when we criticize his |
action, What would you have done?"
Either one of two courses could prop
erly have been followed. 1t would |
nized Huerta, in view Of the fact that |
other great powers had recognized |
him: and, of course, II was quite in |
defensible to refuse to recognize him, |
and yet recognize Benavides in Peru |
and Carranza in Mexico. In such |
event we would have held Huerta to |
"strict responsibility" by acts, for re-
storing order in Mexico and for pro-
teCting American life and property.
Fairly Good Course.
This course would have been de-
fensible. Personally it seems to me |
that it would have been even better
to have done exactly what Mr.. Wilson
said he would do, but did not do. He
said to congress on August 27, 1913: |
I'VE should let everyone who assumes
to exercise authority in any part of
Mexico know in the most unequivocal
way that we shall vigilantly watch the
fortunes of those Americans who can
not get away, and shall hold those
responsible for their sufferings and
losses to a definite reckoning. This
can be and will be put beyond the
possibility of a misunderstanding"
on the same day he sent to the Amer
lean consul general and consular
agents in Mexico two kilograms in
structing them ''to notify all officials
military or civil, exercising authority, Il
that they would be held strictly re-
sponsible for any harm done to
Americans or for injury to their
property" These were fine words.
Excellent words They were as good
as the words i'm the Democratic plat
form four years ago and now to the
effect that all American citizens. at
home and abroad, must be protected
in their rights, and no wrongs per-
mitted against their persons or prop
erty. The trouble is that neither the
promises and menaces of President
Wilson, nor the pledges in the Demo-
cratic platform were worth the paper
on which they were written, nor the
breath expended in uttering them.
Mr.. Wilson's notice was explicit and
emphatic. If he had meant what he
said and if he had possessed the
fraction of the resolution and
courage of such u Democratic presi-