Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-02-16

~. .. lhuIuCfef-S
'"The President of the United States
failed to observe either of those duties.
He undertook to pull down Huerta and
set Carranza up in his place. Huerta
was the de facto President of Mexico.
Rightly or wrongly, good or bad, he
was there" q" =.
Mr.. Root said the United States I'm
tervened in Mexico to control the in
Lternal affairs by threat, by economic
pressure, and by force of arms and
that the American government Sig
nored, condoned, the murder of Amer
lean men and the rape of American
women and the destruction of Ameri-
can property and insult to American
officers and defilement of the Ameri-
can flag and Joined itself to the men
who were guilty of all these things to
pull down the power of Huerta.
And for the death and outrage, the
suffering and ruin Of our own breth-
rem, the hatred and contempt for our
country, and the dishonor of our name
| Washington shares responsibility with
the inhuman brutes with whom 1t
made common cause" A
| By. Blind to Situation Abroad
MT. Root turned to the administra-
tons European policy enumerating
what he declared were the administra-
tion's three fundamental errors" AS
to the first of these: Lack of fore
sight to make timely provision for
backing up American diplomacy by
actual or assured military and naval
force"-Mr Root pointed to imme-
dlate mobilization by Switzerland and
! Holland, and continued: ".@
| Ordinary knowledge of military
events made it plain from the moment
when the tide of German invasion
turned from the battle of the Marne
40 ataA - r.
| long and desperate. All the world had
fair notice that, as against the desper-
ate belligerent resolve to conquer, the
law of nations and the law of human
| ity interposed no effective barriers for
the protection of neutral rights. Or
binary practical sense in the conduct
of affairs demanded such steps should
be taken that behind the peaceable as
lsertion of our country's rights, it's in
dependence and it's honor, should
stand power, manifest and available
warning the whole world that it
would cost too much to press aggres-
sion too far. The Democratic Govern
ment at Washington did not see it.
TOO Proud to Fight"
Discussing his assertion of the ad-
ministration's second error to policy
making threats and failing to make
them good"-Mr. Root alluded to the
American strict accountability" warn
ing to Germany and reviewed the cir
cumstances surrounding the attacks
on the Falaba, Cushing, Gulfiight,
Lusitania and other ships. Mr.. Root
continued:
THE brave words with which we
began the controversy had produced
no effect, because they were read in
the light of two extraordinary events.
One was the report of the Austrian
am bassador, Mr.. Dumba, to his Gov
aTt n ont haf N4Fhn hn sifaT
note of February 10 was received, he
asked the Secretary of State, Mr.. Bry-
an, whether it meant business, and re-
ceived an answer which satisfied him
that it did not, but was intended for
effect at home in America.
The other evert was the strange
and unfortunate declaration of the
President in public speech in Phila-
delphia the fourth day after the
sinking of the Lusitania, that man
may be too proud to fight -.
Made No Protest on Belgium
Discussing his third criticism-"a
loss of moral forces of the civilized
world through failure to truly inter
pret to the world the spirit of the
American democracy"-Mr Root al
luded to the violation of Belgium's
neutrality and held that "the Ameri-
can party were entitled not merely to
feel but to speak concerning the
wrong done to Belgium.
"A single official expression by the
United States" he said, "a single SEN
tence denying assent and recording
disapproval of what Germany did in
Belgium would have given to the peo-
pie of America that leadership to
which they were entitled in their
earnest cropping for the light. 1t would
have brought to American diplomacy
the respect and strength of loyalty to a
l11f = nf tn hn
American government failed to rise to
the demands of the great occasion.
Democrats IncurabIc
THE defects of the present admin
istration arise from two distinct
causes. The first is the temperament
and training of the President. The
second is the incapacity of the Demo-
cratic party as 1t is represented in
the executive departments either to
originate wise policies or to follow
them when proposed by others or to
administer them effectively if they are
established The Democrats in Con-
gress are never controlled except with
club, and government with a club is
always spasmodic and defective. These
characteristics will not change.
But if the Republican party is re-
stored to power the people may expect
with confidence that their government
will meet the economic situation with
which we must deal Immediately upon
the close of the war with a policy of
moderate but adequate protection to
American industry, based upon ascer-
tanned and established facts.
"They may expect that the best pos
81 BILE course for the preservation of
peace will be followed by a foreign
policy which, with courtesy and
friendliness to all nations, is frank and
fearless and honest in it's assertion
of American rights, and leaves no
doubt anywhere in the world of Amer
ica's purpose and courage to protect
and defend her independence her ter
ritory and the lives and just rights of
her citizens under the law of nations.
For Strong Military Arm.
"They may expect that their gov
ernment will stand for full and ade-
quate preparation by the Am merican
people for their own defense. The Re-
publican party stands for a citizenship
made competent by training to per-
form the freeman's duty of defense
for his country. 1t stands for a reg
ular army no larger than is necessary,
but as. large as is necessary to serve as
q first line, a nucleus, a source of in
struction and of instruction and of ad-
ministration for the army of American
citizens who may be called upon the
defend their country.
They may expect that assured
readiness for defense will give power
to our diplomacy in the maintenance
of peace. ..r.
'iThev NAV eynect that tho ,,ower