El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-04-28
POLICY INVITES WAR :.
Roosevelt

1 produced the war. and also produced
our failure in the war.
Must BE a Separate Nation.
We can take our permanent place
as great nation only if we realize
that we are a separate nation akin
to. but distinct. from all the people Of
Europe. and IL we loyalty and with
proud endurance OF the labor Of prepa-
ration and labor, DO duty to ourselves
and others. This means that our lives
must not primarily be devoted to the
greedy achievement of purely material
Wellbeing and of ease and self-indul
gence; il means that we must not sur
render our souls to the guidance or
that species of sentimentality which
eats like an acid into the rugged
strength OF character; It means that
with toll and forethought and self
sacrifice we must prepare this nation
in things industrial, things social. and
things military, in the body, in the
mind and above all I'm the soul. so that
in the mighty days it may stand equal
to tho mighty days.
Futile Little War In Mexico.
We are at the moment engaged in
a little war in Mexico, a futile little
war which may at any time burst out
into "A general blaze, which cannot
possibly result in any real settlement
of the situation. We are so engaged
because our nation failed to do its
duty from the outset in Mexican mat
ters, failed repeatedly and continu-
ally. Nearly 100 persons, some of them
women and children, some Of them
soldiers Of the United States.
were killed on United States soil on
different occasions before the raid at
Columbus. n. NJ, took place. II. the
very first time such an incident Oc-
CURED, the United States had acted
with instant decision not in two or
three days, but 80 minutes afterward:
had inflicted immediate punishment on
the otfenders-there would have never
been a repetition Of the offence.
Our Unprepnredness Demonstrated.
After years Of these experiences in
Mexico and repeated killings of our
people in our own territory along the
border. our preparedness is such that
this mighty nation has not been able
70 grapple efficiently with the situa-
ton created by the raid Of a bandit
chief who had been beaten by his fell
low bandit chiefs when they duarreled
among themselves. In any event, prem
aration could not possibly have pro-
duced more trouble than has been DrO-
dueed in Mexico by the policy this
nation has actually pursued
just the Same With Germany.
ana II is so with regard to Ger
many Fourteen months has gone by
since, as nation, we informed Ger
many that we would hold her n \
strict accountability if she did what
she said she would do as regards sub
marine warfare. Germany did not be- |
i'm II months our actions showed that
we did not mean what we said. Strict |
accountability turned into four months |
OF conversation on our part When |
we made that declaration we sbouId |
have understood exactly what if meant |
and the obligation il imposed unnn |
US. It was a declaration so serious |
that mere severance OF diplomatfc re- |
Iation would have hardly made il good |
and Of course il could only be iusti- |
fled by immediate and thorough-goine-
preparedness on our part. YET four !
months after making that declaration
and with outrage after outrage com
nitted against us, we have not nre-
pared in any shape or way to make
good our word.
VIII II BE Peace NOvF
And now we find that the lack Of
the lack of decision and
Ortitude on our part have resulted
rot as our pacifist friends insisted on
he likelihood of peace, but in hiring
ng us TO the verge Of the pravest |
possible crisis. II we get peace now.
{ will be proof that firm decision Il
months ago would have saved the lives
# many thousands Of non-combatants
including many hundreds of women
md children who have persisted ON the !
ligh seas because our actions rightly !
made other nations believe that we did
lot mean what we said"