The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1916-03-23
Thursday, March %. 1916.
THE MEXICAN MENACE

fight the Americans is rather discon- |
certing in view of the fact that this |
force is in position to cut Gen. Perish |
ingls line of communications. In the
long run. however, 1t would tend to
insure the doing of our duty in
Mexico.
The American people should get
over the idea that the chase and cap
ture OF Villa is anything more than
one little detail of an important mat
ter. There is no great difference be-
tween Villa and Carranza except that
Villa is young and bold and merciless
! while Carranza is old and stupid and
cruel They are both typical OF the
quarter-civilized half-breed population
Of Mexico. To catch and kill villa
will be about as effective as to treat an
elephant with hypodermic syringe
made for baby.
1t is the duty of tho United States
to take over the control of the whole
Of Mexico, set up stable government
there and maintain 1t until they are
trained to manage their own affairs
just the same as we should help chill
dren get start in life. The Mexican
people are children when 1t comes to
the affairs of government. This CON !
troll of Mexico should be taken with |
as little bloodshed and friction as |
possible, but it Is essential to the fu- |
ture peace and progress Of the con- |
tinent.
William Bayard Hale, who went to |
Mexico two years ago as President |
4 Wilson's personal repres has |
J written an article on Mexico which |
bears out what The Banner has been |
lurging for the past three years A
few extracts from Mr.. Hale's article |
are as follows:
lit must not be supposed that the |
Mexicans who Invaded United States |
territory and shot down Americans |
are, especially described when they |
are n called 'yillstas". They were |
simply aiexieans They happened to |
be followers of Villa Probably most |
OF them knew that.
Most MeXicaAs~do know the name
of their immediate chief though
few or them have ads Idea of the
; cause for which they are fighting.
"Villa. himself, is Just. q typical
Mexican The raids, the murders
the outrages that for months have
g Mortified US, are not the work es-
pecally of followers of Villa. They
t. are the work of MeSicans.
Y while the particular affront was
y the massacre at Columbus, the gen
eral offense is the lawlessness and
e barbarism that has overtaken Mex
q leo driven civilization out of it, and
! converted it into breeding ground
of bandits. Villa Is symptom;
Mexican anarchy is the disease.
. 1t is no good effaeing the symptom
it is imperatively necessary to deal
: with the disease.
THE murderers of Americans in
Mexico are never accurately to be de-
scribed by any such name as Fed
eralists or Constitutionalsts or Ia.
. pataists; they are just Mexicans.
e 1--WE should not dream OF retiring
until we have inquired, and re.
ceived thoroughly satisfactory at
frmative reply to the inquiry. rs |
there reasonable prospect for peace
, and order under responsible and |
: permanent Mexican government"
"Carranza according to the reports
which reach me from Mexico, even
from sources naturally favorable to
his claims, has made little or no posi-
, tive progress -
81 can hear of no statesmanlike |
measures which he has taken for |
the reorganization and upbuilding of |
I his country, either politically, financi- |
ally or industrially. Himself dull |
!, man, he seems to have failed to find |
ministers of any particular ability or
promise or to have secured from any
source advice Of special value
Social and financial conditions In
Central Mexica under Carranzas i'm.
mediate influence remain, according
to the best information which reaches
me, are chaotic No one pretends
there is statesman or a genius in
Carranza's train.
Nov, nothing short OF real states.
manship, If not genuine, can save
Mexico today
IF the United States Government
desires to make Venustiano Car
rama the titular head OF perma-
nent Mexican Government. there may
be no reason why 1t should not do so
The First Chief is good hater of
Americans, fairly ignorant Of the out
side world, slow Of comprehension. I'm
ready of action, generally suspicious
and surly. and as unmanageable as
mule. Otherwise he is a perfect
| gentleman.
1T is probably true that all who
come to know anything OF Mexican
affairs and the Mexican character,
sooner or later reach the conclusion
that all expectations, plans and hopes.
| Await alike the inevitable hour"
| "The ultimate answer seems to be
nothing short OF American control"