American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1916-02-17
ROOT ARRAIGNS PRESIDENT WILSON.

The policies of President Wilson and the Democratic
administration toward the International situations aris-
ing out of the European war and the Mexican disturb
ances, and, as relating to domestic conditions, toward the
tariff, were attacked by former United States Senator
Elihu Root Tuesday in his address as temporary chair
man of the New York state Republican convention in as
sembly here.
mo other presidential election since 1864 has been so
fraught with consequences so vital to national life as the
one now approaching, Mr.. Root said, and all ordinary
considerations which play so great a part in presidential
campaigns, are and ought to be dwarfed into %insignifi-
cance.'"
Discussing the domestic situation before the European
war began Mr.. Root declared that during the Is months
of Democratic control there had been "a steady decrease
in American production in exports and in revenues and a
steady increase in imports and expenditure" Enterprise
had halted, he asserted, and new undertakings no longer
made their appearance and the c%ountry's productive in
dustries "were laboring under a misfit tariff devised by a
Democratic party in spite of suspicion, distrust and hos
tlity towards American enterprise" and transportation
and commerce had become dull and Respondent"
Taking up foreign relations Mr.. Root said that for the
first time within the memory Of men now living these re-
lations "are recognized as vital"
He took up first the Mexican problem, declaring that
the United States "intervened in Mexico to control the
internal affairs by threat, by economic pressure, and by
force of arms" and that the American government zig
nored, condoned the murder of American men and the
rape of American women and the destruction of Ameri-
can property and insult to American officers and defile
ment of the American flag and joined itself to the mer
who were guilty OF all these things to pull down the power
of Huerta.
"The results of this interference were most unfortu.
nate" Mr.. Root continued. eff our government had sent
an armed force into Mexico to protect American life ant
honor we might have been opposed but we should have
been understood and respected by the people of Mexico
No flag is so dishonored and no citizenship so little WORT
the claiming in Mexico as ours"
"The United States had rights and duties in Mexico
More than forty thousand Of our citizens had sought thei
fortunes and made their homes there. A thousand mil
lions of American capital had been invested in that ric
and productive country, and millions of income fror
these enterprises were annually returned to the Unite
States not merely for the benefit of the investors but TO
the enrichment of our whole country and all its production
and enterprise. But revolution had come, and factions
warfare was rife. Americans had been murdered, Amer
lean property had been wantonly destroyed, the lives an
property OF all Americans in Mexico were in danger. Tha
was the situation when Mr.. Wilson became president i
March, 1913.
His duty then was plain. 1t was, first, to use his pow
ers as president, to secure protection for the lives AMI
property of Americans in Mexico and to require that tn,
rules OF law and stipulations of treaties should be observ