The Washington herald., 1916-08-08
Mexican Intervention Plan
Implied by Hughes Tone

never would IL we understood what we
were to ask and why we were 10 ash
1t. and where we were to be strong. ~
Is an awful thing to be strong IN 'he
wrong place and then run away as soon
as you get caught at It.
why did we go down to Vera Cruz
Most of the people of this country
thought it was because we had sustained
an insult and that our admiral had oe
manded salute for that. We packed
him up in this demand for the salute.
Wen, that was an extraordinary thing 10
shed blood over. But, we did not get the
salute. 1t turns out we didn't go alter
the salute. We went before the resolution
was passed, and then, apparently, IL was
to prevent the landing of ammunltlon
that would get to Huerta, and still with
IN very short time after that iahoihs
the ammunition to Herta. Well, nine
teen Americans and a large number OF
MeNicans were killed. And they the
administration say they kept us out Oh
war" That was war and was very lg-
noble war.
1T was called, over the bodies of
those dead soldiers, war OF service
But we did not persist in II; we came
back, and when one of the brightest
minds of the administration was quoted
in one of the distinguished papers OF
New York. and asked to explain what
we went there for, this cabinet officer
said, No, not to prevent the landing oil
munitions. we went there to get rid OF
Huerta'
There you have this wrong-headed pol
icy showing up again. The MeNlcans
could not understand II. II we had said
that We did not recognize Huerta because
he could not fulfill his obligations, II we
had IN hla
ment there, they could have understood
that. They couldn't understand why we
went to Vera Cruz. That was inteTven-
tion. and 1t was an Intervention that
didn't stay put. We went there and
came back.
Doesn't Like Position.
II do not like to have the United States
put in such a position. II Is wrong. Now,
what did we do? Having gotten rid OF
Huerta by this extraordinary series OF
actions. what next did we do? We said
Let these Mexicans spill as much blood
as they want to. that is their blessed
privilege
so We coquetted with Villa. we CO.
quetted with Carranza, and we showed
our disposition to favor any bandit In
the land. Now. then. we have found
what as a result of our unpreparednessi
I wish had the time to go into that sub
ject here tonight.
las a result OF our unpreparedness we
found the young men OF the Guard
throughout the country sent down there
on the border, sworn into the regular
army of the United States, because we
did not have a regular army big enough
to keep the bandits over our line.
never heard of more extraordinary ex
pedition than that punitive expedition
we sent down there. Was 1t a nlitar,
expedition. or was 1t not?
IF 1t was not a military expedition
why send It? II It was a military expe
dition why ignore all the essential re
Quisites of a properly managed militar!
expedition? 1t went down between tw'
lines of railroads. 1t could not use either
"An Absurd Expedition"
Our troops couldn't go to any town
1t was an absurdly arranged expedition
OF course it could not succeed. OF cours'
we got into trouble and more bloo'
was she'd
MY friends. we have made people dis
like US because we did not have
straight and !clear path. The path o
international right is like, the path o
the just that shineth here more and NOR,
unto the perfect day. 1t does not max
any difference who your opponent is |
you state a position that is right ant
he Knows that it is right, you are goint
to establish the justice of your cause
And America, with her power neve
need be sfraid of espousing a just cause
When you take a wrong course, whe
you do that which every internationa
lawyer knows is wrong, which every for
eign office knows Is wrong why. the
they will resist you Il they can and
they cannot they will hate you and wi
persist in a bitter animosity because the!
feel that you are unjustly taking advan
tage of the situation.
We have got a great deal that w
have got to overcome. Let the Mexican
once for all understand that We do no
intend to NEEDLE with their affairs, tina
we desire that they shall perform thei
obligations to us, to protect our citizens
protect them justly in the enjoyment o
their lives and their property; that the,
will perform the guarantees that the,
have given US and then we shall hav
peace and happiness. If they can estab
lish a stable government we will do al
that we can to support 1t.
Hits wilson's Policy.
Talk about policy. What is the Pres
ident's policy? Does anyone know? Ha
the executive ever had a policy for NOR
than six months in the Mexican ques
ton. I repeat: who knows today wha
the policy of the administration wi
be three months from now? The troubl
Is that this administration has writte
record that. no matter what 1t says
you don't know whether it will respec
it. You cannot make much progres
along that line.
Now, then, we want in the first place
to have our record perfectly clear tina
we are going to insist that Mexico shaI
treat our citizens properly and we ar
going to insist on a way that will max
them respect 1t because we are going t
see that that is done which We are en-
titled to have done. We are going to hav
that platform understood. Protection t
American citizens, protection to the prop
erty of American citizens, protection t
our border from incursions, the right
that we have as one nation relativel
to another nation at our doors; we ar
going to insist that those obligations b