New-York tribune., 1916-02-16
Murder of Americans
and Robbery COndOned

and Robbery COndOned
"It had become perfectly plain that
the terms upon which both Carranza
ana Villa held their supporters were
Unrestricted opportunity and license
for murder, robbery and lust: Yet the
government Of the United States ig-
nored, condoned. the murder Of Ameri-
can men and the rape OF American
women and destruction Of American
property and insult to American officers
and deflement Of the American flag
and joined itself to the men who were
guilty Of all these things TO pull down
the power Of Huerts. Why? The
President himself has told us. II was
because he adjudged Huerta TO be. a
usurper; because he deemed that the
common people of Mexico ought TO have
greater participation in government
and share in the land; and he believed
that Carranza and Villa would give
thom these things. We must ali sympa-
thize with these sentiments, but there
is nothing more dangerous than mis-
placed sentiment. or all men in this
world the man who had vested in him
the executive power of the United
States was least at liberty TO sit In
Judgment of his own motion unon the
title Of claimant 10 the Mexican
Presidency or 70 reform the land laws
OF Mexico.
"The results of his interference
were most unfortunate. II our govern
ment had sent an armed force into
Mexico to protect American life and
honor we might have been opposed. but
we should have been understood and
respected by the people of Mexico, be-
cause they would have realized that we
were acting within our international
rights and performing nations duty
for the protection Of its own people;
but when the President sent an armed
force into Mexico TO determine the
Mexican Presidential succession he Gre
sted resentment and distrust Of mo-
tives among all classes and sections OF
tIs Mexican people.
when our army landed at Vera Cruz,
Carranza himself, who was to be the
chief beneficiary of tn. act. publicly
protested against il. SO strong was the
resentment that he could not have kept
his followers otherwise When Huerta
had fallen. the new governme I which
for the day had succeeded TO his place
peremptorily demanded the withdrawal
Of the American troops. The universal
sentiment of Mexicans required that
peremptory demand. and the troops
we're withdrawn. Still worse than that,
the taking of Vera Cruz destroyed conf
dence In the sincerity Of the American
government in Mexi:o because every in
telligent man in Mexico believed that
the avowed reason for the act was not
the real reason.
To Force Salute TO Flag.
"The avowed purpose was TO compel
salute TO the American flag. will
state the circumstances On the ninth
of April, 1914, boats crew from the
Dolphin landed at wharf in Tampico
TO take off supplies. The use of that
wharf had been prohibited, and the
Mexican officer In charge OF the wharf
put the crew under arrest, but higher
officer ordered him 10 hold the boats
crew at the wharf and await instruc-
tions Within an hour and half the
crew was Sc. free. No injury or indlg-
nifty was suffered except the fact Of the
arrest Immediate amends were made.
The Mexican officer IN command at
Tampico apologized; General Huerta's
government apologized; tho officer who
made the arrest was himself arrested
and his punishment promised. The ad-
miral in command Of our feet at Tam
pico demanded more public amends
through q salute 20 our flag, but there
cnsued discussion as to the facts and
as 20 the character Of the salute thlch
the circumstances demanded, the num-
her OF guns, and how, II az all, the
salute was 10 be returned.
"While that discussion was pending
and avowedly because Of that incident
the American government presented n
twcnty-four hour ultimatum and landed
an armed force and captured the City
of Vera Cruz. Three hundred MeX-
cans were reported killed; seventeen
United States marines we're killed and
many were wounded.
AT that very time Mr. Bryan, With
the Presidents approval, was signing
treaties with half the world agreeing
that if any controversy should arise it
should be submitted 10 n Joint com
mission and no action should be taken
until after q full year had elapsed.
This controversy, slight as II was,
arose on April 9, and on the 2lst of
the same month Vera Cruz was taken.
Several times the troops of Carranza
and Villa had arrested and imprisoned
American consular officers and torn
down the American flags from the con-
sulates and trampled them in the mire,
with indescribable indignities. The
proofs were in our hands and no atten-
ton was paid to them. Many times
soldiers of the United States. in uni
form, on duty, had been shot and killed
or wounded across the border by SOL
diers of Carranza and Villa. More
than fifty OF them have been killed in
this way and no attention has been
paid 10 IT, The demand Of salute TO
the flag was never heard of again after
Vera Cruz was captured There is not
an intelligent msn in Mexico who be-
lieves that the dispute about the sa-
Lutte was the real reason for the capture
of Vera Cruz
See DishOnOr to Flag
in Failure to Protect