The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1916-07-17
where the President i Strong.

\ The following article from the
4 Christian Science Monitor Is publish
ed BY request Of reader Of The
Gate City. Ed.
Christian Science Monitor: "A very
large section Of the bellicose press
OF the United States, while applaud.
ing the present course of the admins.
tration in mobilixing the national
guard, rushing troops to the border,
pressing rigid terms upon Carranza,
and all that, can hardly contain the
/ satisfaction it feels over the apparent
departure OF the president from his
| watchful waiting policy. The belli-
cose press, it Is superfiuous to say,
is and has been opposed to the adj
ministration on partisan grounds. It
is, in general terms. the opposition
press. 1t is the press that would OPP
pose the reelection OF the democratic
nominee for the presidency in any cir
cumstances. It has never been in
agreement with the presidents Mexi-
can policies, with the presidents
oversee policies. It has never, in
short, been in agreement with any of
his important administrative policies.
| So it finds considerable satisfaction
now In what it calls his conversion
to its doctrines regarding Mexico.
| These doctrines, II followed by the
president, would have led to break
| with Mexico long ago. Had they pre-
vailed, the United States would now,
in all probability, be in the third
year OF war with the netghbOrtng
republic. It would by this time, quite
likely, have lost tens of thousands Of
its young men and tens of millions
, Of its treasure, and it would have
been so tied up In its own difficulties
| that 1t could not exert the influence
Of first-class nation in general In
ternational affairs. The. exact conse-
quences of intervention Is Mexico
three or two years ago, or one year
ago, for that matter, cannot be accur-
ately estimated, yet any person Of in
telligence can place a fairly reason
able appraisement upon them.
But the fact is, President Wilson
did not permit himself to be rushed
into conflict with Mexico. He was
determined that he would not be
forced into 1t, if by any means hon
orable to the nation he could prevent
1t. In the carrying out Of his pur-
pose he has been compelled to face
great deal of unjust and ungenerous
criticism. He hes had to put up with
great provocation. He has had to be
patient. But he has held arm. He
could not be moved ever by stimu-
lated popular emotion to take thd
step which he felt must be- avoided
until every hope had faded.
The stage was set for the special
purpose of influencing the chief execu-
tive. There were motion-picture cam.
paigns to arouse warlike sentiment
among the people; there was pre-
paredness professions; was much
waving OF the national flag. much
playing of national airs. Everything
that could be invented 10 turn the
nation from its natural and intense
dislike Of militarism and all that goes
with it, was brought into play, and
these were REINFORCED by raids on
the border and by outrages in the
interior Of Mexico; but he stood his
ground. And it was for this that the
democrats of the country, in national
convention, assembled at ST. Louis.
cheered his name for forty-five min
utes and gave him q denomination by
reclamation.
Those who sent delegates to st.
Louis sent them with q mandate to
renominate the man who had sue
ceeded in keeping the country out of
war. That he had succeeded in doing
this in the face of almost insuperable
obstacles was what the democracy Of
the nation regarded as wonderful, and
worthy OF all praise and all gratitude.
If one will go over the speeches at
st. Louis it will be found that the
passages which struck the chords of
feeling most keenly were those which
recounted how Woodrow Wilson had
preserved the young manhood OF the
country to mothers, wives and sis.
ters..
Whatever may have been the CAPT
tai stock Of others, the one thing that
recommended Woodrow Wilson to the
overwhelming majority Of his party
was his peace record.
Because the national guard has
been modified it is assumed by the
bellicose press that Woodrow Wilson
has abandoned his peace policy, that
he has reserved himself with regard
to Mexico, that he is now about to
plunge the nation into war with its
southern neighbOr. We do not be.
lieve it, because we cannot believe
that President Wilson misunderstands
the temper OF the thinking people of
the United States. We cannot be.
lieve that he could be brought, by
any pressure, to look upon war with
Mexico as an undertaking worthy Of
the country.
There are other ways to solve the
problem besides resort to hostilities.
The sensibilities Of people who count
will mot be wounded If the United
States troops now in Mexico are with.
drawn and used with the REINFORCE.
ments now on the way to form q pro-
tective guard along the border. II
Mexico will not accept the good VI
fees of the United States that they
are offered, there is no binding rea-
son why they should be jmpGsed
upon her. She can be left to work
out her own salvation, until she is
ready to call for helm and To call