Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1916-04-04

Clear. Lake and Ames because they
had favored other makes which were
declared by the promoters as being
"just as good" The pernicious &C
tivity of these concerns is becoming
as reprehensible as the builders OF
county bridges. There should be
some honor among these elements
REASON FOR ANXIETY.
Sioux City Journal: Washing
ton Is on the Anxious Seat" blazons
the headline writer. News from the
Border Causes Much Uneasiness at
the National Capital Why
shouldn't it? Where Mexicans are
concerned, anything may happen
The simple fact is the United States
has not only the villainy and the
lcunning of Villa to cope with, but
the Inconsistency and the vacillation
and the treachery of Mexican. nature
in general.
President Wilson enters into a
protocol with President Carranza
but what does a protocol with Presi-
dent Carranza amount to when he
cannot NIKE it binding on any large
part of the Mexican people? Presi-
ldent Wilson secures from President
1Carranza permission to serd United
Estates troops into Mexico and assur-
ances that they will have the assist
ance of the Mexican army in run.
ming down Villa, but what do such
permission and such assurance avail
when President Carranza is not pos
sessed of sufficient control over his
own army to keep considerable pQr.
lions of it from turning against hin
over . night and aligning itself
against the United States instead Of
against Villa?
It is not easy to get away from the
notion that the invasion of Mexico
by United States troops may develop
Into more than a mere chase after 8
bad man. The United States. has
outlined its purpose, and, if lei
alone, Gen. Pershing and his men
will carry it out and return home
But what the MeXicans purpose tt
do is not so well defined. MOI
would it be safe to depend on their
following out any line Of action that
they might lay out for themselves
The Mexieans have a bothersome
habit of refusing to stay hitched.
Unable to agree for any considerable
period of time among themselves, it
lis difficult to imagine them submits
Isively standing by and allowing an
|outsider to regulate affairs for them.
Nor is the uncertain temperament
of the Mexican all that the United
States has to be anxious over. 1t
must take into account also most
certain hatred for SO called grim
goes that is part of the Mexican
nature. In spite of the many fine
words that have passed between
Mexico City and Washington at diff
ferent times since 1S47, Mexico as
a nation does not feel any too kindly
toward the United States, and many
are the 'Mexicans who would con-
slider it privilege to wreak on the
United States any possible punish
ment by way of revenge for what the
United States did to Mexico some
seventy years ago.
Villas standing, at least in cer-
tain parts of Mexico, and the sup
port he can rally to himself in spite
of the life of outlawry he has led for
years and years is sufficient COM
mentary on the character of the
Mexican people, in whose midst the
United States are now trying to run
down this arch conspirator. Is it
any wonder that Washington is on
the anxious seat? And should any,
one presume to predict what event.
ualIy may come out of the SO called
man hunt?