Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-07-05
Dr.. David Starr Jordan and
Others Seek to Settle Exist
ing Difficulties.
REPRESENT THE UNION
OPPOSING MILlTARISM
American Delegation Comforting in
This City With Committee
of Mexicans.

A conference, called by the
American Union Against Mill
tarism for the purpose of finding
a solution for the difficulties be-
tween the United States and
Mexico was begun here this after
noon.
The American delegation is
composed of DR.. David Starr Jor-
dan, chancellor of Leland Stan
ford University; Moorheld Storey,
Boston lawyer, and Amos Pinchot
of New York. The Mexicans are
DR.. Att, a Mexico City editor !;
Luis Manuel Rojas of Mexico
City and Modesto c. ROLAND OF
New York.
from Ell Paso. Tex. where DR.. Jordan
and DR.. ROLAND were the only two
representatives in attendance. Mr.
Story and Mr.. Pinchot were added to
ported here this afternoon just before
the conference started. The session
today will be devoted principally to
getting each others point of view, and
later the entire Mexican situation is
to be discussed
Talk of War Over, DR.. Jordan Says.
THE much talked of war with Mex
leo is all over" said DR.. Jordan today.
mo nation ever had the temeFity to
go to war on such fiimsy pretexts as
now exist. No nation was ever freed
from evil conditions by force of arms.
They have been terroriZed and subju-
gated. There have been times when
other agencies followed the victorious
armies and cleaned up a country. but
those very agencies are at work in
Mexico today
when 1 went to Ell Paso 1 confess
] was ON the fence I had an idea
that some time 1t might be necessary
for the United States to invade Mex
leo. From what / saw and heard from
reliable sources I am now convinced
that force of arms is the one agency
that will retard the regeneration that
10 In progress within Mexico
The greatest mistake in the past
has been the belief that Mexico could
not straighten out her own difficulties.
] an now convinced that she can. She
II doing 1t in the states where there
are no mining camps and smelter
plants and armies. In these states
the people are forming their own little
municipalities and making a good at
tempt to settle the agrarian and school
problems that have been the great
source of unrest They are holding
some few elections.
Compared With French Revolution.
Conditions in Mexico are very SINH
lar to the French revolution. The I'M
DERIVING troubles are exactly the same.
We cannot settle these by force of arms
and saying. We will put you back
whore you were before" This can't be
done Such an attempt would be dis
astrous. 1t takes a revolution to over
throw evil conditions Of long standing.
The atrocities that We hear so much
about are only incidental We have
been having raids along the border for
years. but they were so insignificant
that they were not even considered
news have had reports from thirteen
Of the states that are working out their
own solution of the difficulties.
Il heard. and no one seemed to care
to contradict it, that the Villa attack on
Columbus was fomented in Ell Paso
There is no way of policing the bor-
der. which is as wide stretch as from
Boston to Omaha. with very poor ar
rangements for transportation east and
west
Lincoln Stenens dropped in to see Dr.
Jordan and they were agreed on gen.
eral conditions in Mexico. DIR. Jordan
credited Mr.. Steffens with preaching
people and aid in bringing the evil con-
ditions to an end"
Asked regarding the scope Of the
American Union Against Militarism DR..
interested people in New York who band
ID together primarily in opposition to
va- with Germany Describing his own
association with 1t and that of Mr.. Stef-
unions against militarism we are willing
to coaiesce at any time" and Mr. Steffens
added. I'VE are neither members Of the
union nor scAbs."
Presidents Speech Causes Stir.
DR.. Att declared that President Wilson'S
speech in New York had created a pro-
found STIR in Mexico City
There was great rejoicing over it."
he said. There was also great excite
Inent when. on the very day it seemed
war might break out. we got tho news
from New York that a body of American
citizens was striving to avert war. Tho
papers carried 1t in big type. with explain
atoms as to who the Americans were
THIS was the American Union Against
M1ntArlsm When, on the heels Of this
announcement. there came Invitations to
Senior Rotas and myself to serve on their
onoucial committee we accepted without
hesitation"
LINER FROM VERA cRII7