The Washington times., 1916-08-01

II was almost certain that reprisais
on American citizens would have fol-
n S9d ss Ssd the aays Ss
we could not rescue our own citizens at
Tampico save at the risk Of the murder
Of others. We must take Vera Cruz to
get Huerta out Of office and trust to
out OF peril. what a travesty Of Inter
national policy!
Calls Mexican
Policy Not Consistent.
Destroying the government Of Huerta.
we left Mexico to the ravages of revo-
luton. shall not attempt to narratc
the sickening story of the barbarities
committed. OF the carnival Of murder
and lust. We were then told that Mex
leo was entitled to spill as much blood
as she pleased to settle her affairs.
The Administration vacillated with
respect to the embargo on the export
of arms and munitions to Mexico. I'm
! der the resolution Of 1912 President Taft
I, 1913, President Wilson stated that he
| deemed II his duty to see that neither
side to the struggle In Me, Mexico should ,id
| OF the border and that the export OF all
arms and munitions to Mexico would
1 be forbidden.
But in February. 1914. the embargo
was lifted. In April. 1914, the embargo
was restored. In May. 1914, II was ex-
planned that the embargo did not apply
| to American shipments through Mexi.
can ports, and ammunition for Car
rama was subsequently landed at Tam
| pico.
In September. 1914, the embargo was
| lifted on exports across the border
| thereupon military supplies reached
both Villa and Carranza. In October
| 1915, an embargo was declared on all ex-
ports OF arms except to the adherents
of Carranza. There was an utter ABB
sence Of consistent policy.
For q time we bestowed friendship or
| villa. Ultimately we recognized Car.
rama, not on the ground that he had
a constitutional government. but that
1t was a de facto government. The
complete failure to secure protection
sively In the note of the Secretary OF
| State Of June 90, 1910, in which he thus
described the conditions that have OBJ
tanned during the past three years:
| For three years tile Mexican repub
lie has been torn with civil strife: tn,
lives Of Americans and other alien,
have been sacrificed: vast properties de
veloped by American capital and enter
non productive: bandits have been per
mitted to roam at will through the tor
ritory contiguous 10 the United States
and to seize without punishment o.
without effective attempt at punish
ment the property OF Americans. whil
the lives OF citizena Of the United Stntc
who ventured to remain In Mexican
territory or to return there to protec
their interests have been taken. in som
cases tarbarously taken. and the muir
derers have neither been spprehendc,
nor brought to Justice. II woul
be tedious to recount instance after in
stance, outrage after outrage. atrocit
after atroclty. to illustrate the tru
nature and extent Of the widespread
conditions OF law,essness and vio!cnc
which have prevailed"
Punitive Expedition
Viewed as Menace.
The Santa Ysabel massacre. the raj
at Columbia. the bloodshed at Carri-u
are fresh In your mirds. After the Co
lumbus raid we started punitive CT
petition" We sent a thin line Of troop
hundreds OF miles into Mexico, betwee
two lines OF railway. neither OF whic
we were allowed TO use and which W
! did not feel at liberty to seize. We wer
refused permission to enter the towns.
3 Though thuE restricted. the enterlris
I was still regarded by the Mexicans a
a menace. Our troops faced hostil
forces and II Is not remarkable that on
men fell Mt Carrikal.
What other result could be expected
We were virtually ordered to Withdraw
= and without accomplishing our purpos
= we have been withdrawing and we ar
z now endeavoring to safeguard our ow
: territory.
The entire national guard has bee
: ordered out. and many thousands {
e our citizens have been taken from the
v peaceful employment and hurried I
j. the Mexican border. The Administrt
n ton was to seize and punish Villa Il
I his outrage on our soil. II has not pun
/ ished any one; we went In only to r,
a tire, and future movements are al
n parently to be determined by a joii
: commission.
The nation has no policy Of aggre
A.. sion toward Mexico. We have no d.
q sire for any part Of her territory. "
d wish her to have peace. stability, ar
4 prosperity. We should be ready to a
a her In binding up her wounds. In r
- lieving her from starvation and di
y tress, and In giving her in every pra
a ticable way the benefits Of our dish
terested friendship.
The conduct of this Administrative
:, has created difficulties which we sha
~ have to surmount. We shall have
overcome the antipathy needlessly or
y ated by that conduct and to devei,
u genuine respect and confidence. "
o shall have to adopt a new policy.