The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1916-10-20
HOW WILSON KEPT US OUT
OF WAR WITH OLD MEXICO
The Record Shows We Made War OF
Mexico Without a Declaration Just
as Germany Now Makes War
on Portugal.

An interesting paper by Harry Lane
Wilson, brother Of the late John L.
Wilson, publisher of Seattle Post-Intel-
ligencer. Because SO many misguided
peaple propose to vote for Mr.. Wood
row Wilson for reelection it is worth
while to inquire fairly and dispation-
ately whether President Wilson really
did keep US out Of war, or whether ne
really did not get US into war and had
more men killed than were killed in
the war with Spain, without formal
declaration OF war. Germany has been
at war with Portugal for over two years
and has so far never made formal de-
claration. Germany was at war with
Italy for a year and half before she
made formal declaration. When one
nation invades the territory OF another
and kills its citizens by the hundred
and has some hundred or more Of its
own citizens killed, we frankly ask any
fair minded man is that war or peace2
We are not here finding fault with
President Wilson for anything he did
to protect the integrity Of the United
States or the life OF its citizens. In
deed, thisis one OF his most sacred duties
But we do object to the hollow claim
made by his supporters that he has
kept US out Of war. Under the circum-
stances he would be more reprehen-
sible if he had not sought to punish
those troublesome Greasers for killing
our citizens. Many times nations have
gone 10 war without ever making a
formal declaration. The formal declar-
alton is the least important part. The
all-important part is to punish willful
and deliberate outrage. Read Mr..
Wilson'S statement. He was there as
American minister when Madero was
killed.
Wilson kept this country out oi
war?" Nonsense. Veriest nonsense.
Furthermore, is this not an appeal to
some latent strain OF supposed degen-
eracy in the American blood rather
than one Of virility and patriotism.
For four years was American am
bassador to Mexico. l saw the fall Of
Diaz. I saw the rise and fall Of Madero
and the ascendency and decline oi
Huerta. I carried on the official ne
gotiations between Americe and Mexico
during the bloodiest revolutions through
which the country to the south OF US
passed. Wilson keep this country out
of war? He did not. The statement
is simply a play upon the heartstrings
Of the mothers and fathers Of this coun-
try; play for votes.
But did anyone keep US out Of war
with Mexico7 Why are $4,000 Amer
lean troops on Mexican soil and 50,-
900 American boys along the border?
What of the $125. 100000 we have
expended in this peaceful WARP
What of the lives OF American soldiers,
more than were lost in the two-year
war with Spain, that have been sacri-
feed along the Rio Grande and beyond?
Did any one keep US out OF war with
Mexico? I say the claims that the ad
ministration kept US out of war is a
preposterous falsehood because we have
already been twice at war with Mexico
since Mr.. Wilson has been in the
White House. We landed troops at
Vera Cruz and kept them there for more
than two months for the purpose Of
overthrowing the government OF HUI
erta. If we had landed soldiers at
Liverpool or Hamburg, does anyone
doubt how our actions would have been
interpreted BY the governments OF
Great Britain or Germany We sent
80, 900 troops, practically all our avail
able regulars, across the Rio Grande
and they are there today. We dragged
| 100000 unwilling guardsmen to the
border and $4,000 are there now. We
are today employing more men against
Mexico than we used in the Mexican
war OF 1847. And some democratic
leaders, playing for votes, try to tell Us
President Wilson kept US out Of war.