Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-07-27
KNow.NoTHtNe1sM

TNExAs is Democratic, but Texas Is also
4 American II will vote fct the party
candidate FOR The President, but given
the chance in primary to show its feel
Ing. that empire which passes for a state
wrote IFS verdict In language which Wash
inston could not fail TO understand
There has been a curious misappre.
hension OF the Administration's Mexican
and other policies Men say that It Is a
"Do-nothing" Administration, SO far as
its foreign policies are concerned. That
would not damn II. There have been
'do.nothlns" administrations before and
nothing came Of It. That is not what
damns Democratic control and goads the
nation into a fierce demand for Hughes.
The public could forgive an Adminstra-
ton Which did nothing IL 1t felt that that
Administration was doing nothing be-
cause II conceived that course to be the
wise course
No, the trouble with the Wilson Ad.
nlnistfatIon Is that It is "know.nothing"
Administration. 1t has wanted to do
something in Mexico, but It has not
known what to do. The conviction is
confirmed by repeated events that there
is no Mexican policy that Washington
is trusting to luck. going It blind, and
hoping that by some miracle 1t will be
able to extricate itself and the nation
from the lamentable situation which now
exists.
This know-nothingism has been evident
for three years. The Administration did
not know what to do when war frowned
on the horizon in Europe. 1t is not re-
corded that the greatest republic on earth
offered It's services as a mediator or did
anything whatever to avert the conflict.
Later, as incident after incident arose,
delay marked the policy of the Govern.
ment, not because delay was advisable,
but solely because the Government did
not know what to do. Ships and an army
went to Vera Cruz. For few hours
1t seemed at last Washington had pol
icy But not so! The now-nothingsm,
which is another name for indecision,
made itself felt. The officers in command
at Vera Cruz did not know what to do |
because the Government at Washington |
did not know what 1t wanted them to do. |
Texas would have stood by the Presi- |
dent II he had had any Mexican policy |
at all. But what Texas could not endure |
was the hesitation, the doubt. the twisting |
rest of the Union without any guarantee
as to the future. Uncertainty
Is fatal to the individual and it is death
to a government
Carranza has diagnosed the situation
clearly, just as Huerta did before him.
The First Chief would never have pro-
posed a commission to settle the diff
culties between the two countries had
he not been convinced that Washington
vas looking vaguely for a miraculous
solution. What need is there for COM
An ultimatum that ultimated
would satiate the borderland with peace.
But no such ultimate has been issued
rom the White House since Woodrow
Wilson became President. and none will
ssue therefrom so long as he is Presl-
lent. 1t is not in the wood. The charac.
er of the Chief Magistrate forbids it.
waiting is simply phrase to
describe know-nothlnglsm. An admins
ration which knew its own mind would
lever have had to watch waitfully or to
yait watchfully.
Texas has damned indecision. That is
vhat the nation as a whole is going to
10 when 1t gets the chance.
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