The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1916-04-20
cREENvILLE, OHIO, THuRsDAY, APRIL 90. I9le

hibited in Europe from laying hold
upon the vast territory and practically
undefended wealth of the new world?
Have we still national ideals? VIII
anybody live for them? Would any
body die for them? Or are we all for
ease and comfort and wealth at any
price? Confronted by such questions
as these and the practical situations
which give rise to them. is the cOun-
try satisfied to trust itself again In the
hands of the Democratic party?
Impotent Interference In Mexico.
The United States had rights and
duties in Mexico. More than 10000 Of
our citiz q had sought their fortunes
and made their homes there. A thou
sand millions Of American capital had
been invested in that productive coun-
try. But revolution had come. and
factional warfare was rife. Americans
had been murdered, American proper
ty had been wantonly destroyed, the
lives and property of all Americans in
Mexico were in danger. That was the
situation when Mr. Wilson became
president in March. 1918. His duty
then was plain. 1t was. first. to use
his powers as president TO secure pro
lection for the lives and property of
Americans in Mexico and to require
that rules of law and stipulations of
treaties should be observed by Mexico
| toward the United States and its citi
1r1t,
head of d foreign power to respect the
| Independence of Mexico, to refrain
| from all interference with her internal
affairs. from all attempt at domina-
| ton except as he was justified by the
| law of nations for the protection OF
American rights. The president of the
| United States failed to observe either
| of those duties. He deliberately aban-
| doned them both and followed an en-.
| tirely different and Inconsistent pur-
pose He interveneI in Mexico to aid
| one faction in civil strife against an
| other. He undertook to pull down
| Huerta and set CarranZa up in his
| place. Arms and munitions of war
| were freely furnished to the northern
forces and withheld from Huerta
Finally the president sent our army
| and navy TO invade Mexico and cap
ture its great seaport. Vera Cruz, and
| hold it and throttle Mexican commerce
until Huerta fell
Americans Outraged In Mexico.
The government of the United States
intervened in Mexico to control the In
ternal affairs of that independent coun'
| try and to enforce the will or the
American president in those affairs by
threat, by economic pressure and by
force Of arms. Upon what claim or
right did this Intervention proceed!
Not to secure respect for American
rights, not to protect the lives or prop
erty of our citizens, not to assert the
laws of nations. not to compel obserV
ance of the law of humanity. On the
contrary, Huerta's was the only power
in Mexico to which appeal could be
made for protection of life or property
That was the only power which, i'll
fact. did protect either American or
European or Mexican 1t was only
within the territory where Huerta
ruled that comparative peace and or
der prevailed The territory over
which the armed power Of Carranza
and villa and their associates extended
was the theat2r Of the most appalling
crimes. Bands Of robbers roved the
country with unhlil illcd license. Amer.
leans and McXicans alike were at their
mercy. and American men were mur
dered and American women were out,
ragged with 1unity. Thousands were
reduced to poverty by the wantOn de-
structi0n Of the industries through
which they lived. Yet the government
of the United States ignored, con
| doned, the murder of American men
and the rape Of American women and
destruction OF American property and
insult to American officers and delle,
ment Of the American flag and Joined
itself to the men who were guilty OF
all these things to pull down the pow
er of Huerta Why? The president
himself has told us. 1t was because
l
because he deemed that the common
people of Mexico ought to have great
er participation in government anC
share III the land. and he believed thai
Carranza and Villa would give then
these things. We must all Sympathizt
with these sentiments, but there il
nothing more dangerous than mis-
placed sentiment
When our army landed at Vera CRU
Carranza himself, who was to be tht
chief beneficiary Of the act, publicly
protested against it. SO strong wa
the resentment that he could not haY'
kept his followers otherwise, WheI
Huerta had fallen the new government
which for the day had succeeded t.
his place peremptorily demanded th'
withdrawal Of the American troops
The universal sentiment of Mexican
required the peremptOry demand, ant
the troops were withdrawn. Still
worse than that, the taking Of Yer;
: Cruz destroyed confidence in the sin
cerity of the American government II
| AcAkCO1 CNCIJ IAlbSAAASNA1 NAe-A
!. in Mexico believed that the avowe'
reason for the act was not the rea
: reason The avowed purpose was t
= compel salute to the American flae
Three hundred MeXicans were report
> ed killed; seventeen United States ma
rines were killed and many wer
wounded At that very time Mr.. BrJ
an, with the presidents approval, wa
signing treaties with half the worl
agreeing that if any controversy shoul
{ arise it should be submitted to a join
commission and no action should b
/ taken until after full year had elapI
{ ed. This controversy, slight as it wa
: arose on the 9th of April, and on th
. 21st of the same month Vera Cru
II r,oa tolyan With tha OpcunafiOn {