Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-09-15
BARRIERS In WAY
OF BORDER PATROL
CONTINUED From First Page1

UF bUkUEk FAlkUL
rContinued From First Page]
session, the Mexican party planning
to leave for New York to-day to at
tend the celebration there tomorrow
of Mexico's national holiday commem-
Grating the declaration of her inde-
pendence and the throwing off of
Spanish rule. They will return Mon
day when the conferences will be re-
sumed.
No Satisfactory Solution
While the attitude Of General Bliss
as expressed to the commissioners
has not been revealed, it is believed
he shares the views of many army Of
ficers familiar with the border stu
alton that no satisfactory solution can
be found that is not based upon the
establishment and maintenance Of a
stable government in Mexico. Even
the project of forming a border po-
lice force to be Jointly supported by
the two governments is open to the
objection, it Is pointed out, that no
matter what plan might be employed
to administer its affairs and direct
its movements its joint character
would be hard to maintain. 1t has
facto government was strong enough
to give practical cooperation in the
organization of the border police. the
need for such a force would have
passed, as Mexico could then take
care of the situation within her own
borders.
There is no doubt that one of the
purposes Of the Washington admin
| istration is to arouse Mexico to the
moral obligation that it is felt rests
upon her to protect American inter-
ests along the international line from
depredations of Mexican bandits. For
this reason it seems unlikely that any
plan for policing the border will prove
acceptable that seems to relieve her of
that responsibility.
| MEXICO City, Sept. 15.-General Car
ranzas purposes in issuing last night
a call for the election of delegates to
an assembly to consider changes in the
constitution are set forth in the pre-
ample of the decree now made public
here. The preamble refers to the plat
FORM or the Constitutionalists as set
forth in the plan of Guadeloupe, adopt
ed IN 1918 before the downfall of Cen
eral Huerta and elaborated at Vera
Cruz In 1914, and says 1t shows clearly
that the program of the Constitution
alists provides that when their cause
was triumphant and municipal cleo
tons had taken place, the first chief
should call for the election of a con-
sress, give an account of his admins
tralion and have his actions ratified or
modifed by the congress. He was
then to call a presidential election and
turn over the executive power to the
legally elected president.
Inc frst chief always intended to
carry out this program, and to that
END adopted various measures to pro-
vide government of and for the people
/ cif -
the working classes and to insure
correct application of republican prin-
clples as embodied in the constitution
IL has been found, however, that some
OF these reforms affected the functions
of the government as limited by the
constitution.
These reforms were necessary, Gem
eral Carranza points out, because there
exlstec the danger that if the functions
or government were limited strictly in
accordance with the constitution of
1887 the administration of public af-
| falrs would not meet the necessities
of the time and there would be a re-
turn to tyranny through the absorp-
ton of powers by the executive. An
other source of danger was that the
powers vested in the legislative branch
OF the government would be a constant
fetal administration.
| Fought Hard
The enemies of the Constitutional
| lists, General Carranza continues. have
omitted nothing to prevent complica-
tion, going so far as to imperil the
dignity of the republic and engage its
sovereignty by provoking conflict with
a neighboring republic, seeking to
bring about Intervention on the pre-
text that there was no protection for
the lives and properties of foreigners
They even pretended to seek interven-
h 10 TO- 81 \
appearing to lament the shedding of
blood in a necessary war, although
| they did not scruple to squander lives
and permit all manner of excesses
against natives and foreigners. These
enemies of the Constitutionalists op-
effected, but those in prospect. There
fore, the preamble says, the only way
in which to attain the desired ends is
to provide for Constitutionalist as
sembly, through which the whole
country will be able to express clearly
its sovereign will, putting the govern
ment on firm basis beyond all ques-
ton of legality.
AS a precedent for the action of
General Carranza in calling a Consti-
tuttonalist convention the decree re-
fers to the fact that in 1857 a similar
assembly was convoked, after Santa
Anna was deposed. The legality of
this assembly was undoubted, although
1t did not follow the constitution Of
1924.
Sovereignty Vested in People
| The enemies of the CONSTITUTIONAL
lists, General Carranza says further,
have imputed to him motives which he
never entertained. Accordingly he de-
ternined to forestall attacks by a frank
and sincere declaration that the re-
forms projected are not intended to
lead to the establishment of a dictator
ship. On the other hand, the govern
ment to be established will be of such
form as to demonstrate categorica.lly
that sovereignty resides within the
people, by whom it should be exer-
cised for the public benefit. Both fed
eral and state rights will be respected
and the spirit of the constitution will
be carried out The only purpose is to
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