New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-05-05
Our War with Mexico.


salute demanded by him.
Having resolved 20 coerce the Mexican
government Mr.. Wilson sent an expedition
to Vera Cruz Incident to this action was
an engagement in which number of
American sailors were killed. A large
number Of Mexicans, including number
of boys. cadets in a Vera Cruz academy,
were also killed.
This was the first step in war. But
having taken this step Mr.. Wilson was so
terrified 10 discover that war meant blood
shed and that invasion was bound TO beget
resistance, whether in Concord, Massachu-
sets. or Vera Cruz, Mexico, that he
promptly abandoned all use of the military
force he had sent to Mexico and undertook
to establish the preteXt that he was not
fighting the Mexican people but the Huerta
government.
By GENERATING under this disguise Mr..
Wilson destroyed the Hucrta government.
He permitted the bandit Villa to draw his
munitions from the United States, and he
lent every assistance that could be given
TO the rebels and the bandits who were
attacking the only sembance of orderly
government i'm Mexico.
Once Huerta had fallen Mr.. Wilson
withdrew the army from Mexico We
ecuttled away without our salute; we pre-
ended that VIC had liberated the Mexican
ople from tyranny, and Mr.. Wilson
IS to have fancied that we should be
"a in Mexico City as the French troops
re hailed in Milan in the War Of Italian
Liberation.
Instead. every Mexican Of every faction
felt for the Americans who had invaded
Mexico and killed Mcxicans precisely the
sentiments Bclgians feel for Germans
They also felt that the United States was
hbullv. who was afraid to fight if actual
resisted. and the withdrawal was trans
ted as the flight Of a cowardly people
The next step in our relations with
exico was long series Of murders o1
nerican citizens i'm Mexico and innumer
q outrages along the border. Some day
United States will know what hap
,ed at Naco and other border towns last
r. They will know what use was made
American soldiers. Above all they viii
how the Mexican belief that Ameri-
were towards was carefully lncul-
d by the orders given to the American
iers policing this region.
,nally we had the latest phase Cen
massacrcs of Americans by MeMcans
the necessity of new invasion OF
CO. The last time we had gone TO
20 Il was for a salute. which VIC did not
:: now we went to Mexico 10 get the
of Villa, Mr.. Wilson's provisional
for Mexican leadership few short
9 before.
Judge from the latest reports from
/, we are soon to come back from
q without the body Of Villa, and We
killed some more MeMcans and other
lean soldiers have been shot. We are
title again, going back home with all
urposes unfulflled.
there any man Of ordinary intelli-
who does not recognize that
we leave Mexico, whether in six
Laws or six, we shall bring back 20
frontier all the old evils, disorder,
ttet;uble; we shall have more murde of
Americans in Mexico and more terror IN
American cities within our boundaries? Or
this there is not the smallest doubt.
There is only one way to intervene in
the internal affairs of a neighbor, and that
is by war. There is only one way to make
war, and that is to make war Once you
have destroyed all civil government in an
Nshouting that you have restored lbery.
It would be an act of madness TO make
. civilized people believe that the United
States government feared them; 1t IS
', act Of super-madness TO propagate the
ne faith in the mind of a people of the
,xican order Of civilization.
Mr.. Wilson has made war on Mexico
ne has been at war with Mexico for
two wears. But he has not had the cour'
age to face the fact that it is war. lie
has persisted in one polite fiction after
another while men were being shot anc
armies were in the field. He has sent ar
mics to accomplish ends advertised in ad
vance: he has brought them home without
accomplishing his purpose.
The result is just this: He has destroyed
Mexican civil government; he has propa
gated anarchy he has taught MeXlcans
first TO hate us and then 10 deSpSe us. lie
has deprived the army Of all influence and
for long intervals denied TO soldiers the
right to defend their own lives.
eve have outraged your women; we
have murdered your, childreni we have