The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1916-09-01
Who Owns Mexico


The plain citizen has no determin-
ing voice on the issue Of war or
peace.
For more than fifty years money
has been powerful enough to force
war upon any country at any time,
The students of world politics will find
that practically all modern wars have
been dictated by great financial in
terescS.
As long as capital finds its best
field for profit in its own country, the
peace Of that country is reasonably
secure But whenever the financial
interests have acquired such a con-
troll of the national resources of their
own country and such mastery over
the industrial and commercial atfairs
of their own people that they can eX-
act profits at will, such interests seek
new fields for their surplus capital.
This excess capital which has been
ground out of an exploited country
and its people-if retained at home
would reduce interests; and farm
ers, merchants and small business en-
terprises could borrow upon reasona'
Bile rates.
But the masters Of finance consid,
err little else besides their own profits
The people of the United States dc
not want war with Mexico. The
Mexican people do not want war with
JUS. And both President Wilson and
Carranza have manifestly done every
thing in their power to avert war.
What is it, then, that mcnaces the
peace of these neighboring countries
1t dates far back of the Columbus
raid. That outrage upon the resi-,
dents of one of our border towns was
the logical outcome of conditions fol
which the Mexican people were in no.
wise responsible. Worse that that
The Mexican people were really lnno'
cent victims of traitors in our midst
For it is charged upon the highest
authority that the raid was inspired
and arranged for in our own country
Do you get the full meaning of that
statement? Benedict Arnold was not
more guilty of treason.
The secret service of this govern
ment has a long arm and a strong
arm. The net may yet be drawn or
the "higher-up." 1t is fair to as,
sumo that President Wilson did not
disclose all of the facts in his pos.
session when he declared officially a
few days after the raid that
"There were persons along the Dor.
der actively engaged in creating frlc-
ton between the governments of the
limited States and the de facto gov
eminent of Mexico for the purpose OF
bringing about intervention in the in
terest of certain owners of Mexican
properties"
There you have it! The gentlemen
who want war with Mexico are the
gentlemen who "have Mexican prop
critics" They are a very powerful!
lot. They own most of the United
States and good big slice of MeXl-
co. They are our captains of indus
trv: our masters of finance. They
own or control our great newspapers.
Thev are for "strong Mexican pol
lev" "strong foreign policy" big
army, big navy. :,
They prate about patriotism.
They clamor for preparedness"
Thev have tried to plunge the country
into a hysteria of fear that we are
uoing to be thrown into war with
Germany or England or Japan. They
have congress con the rum"
These privileged interests are not
taxing the people of the United States
for their great army and navy scheme
70 fcht Germany, England or Japan.
They have other plans for the pres
emf They have the irons on the
American people. They control the
prices of labor and the products of la
hor. They control the cost Of every
necessity of life. They own the coal,
fhe oil, the timber, the water powers.
Their profits are so enormous that
thev must lower interest rates or
in foreign countries. The
timber, oil. coal and mineral wealth
Of Mexico and of the Central and
South American countries are most
inviting in every way. The govern
ments are poor; the labor is cheap
IS slave labor.
There is Just one risk. And that
IS a large risk. The governments
are most of them weak. Revolutions