The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1916-05-19
HEOWOSSO TINES
OWOSSO, MICH, MAY 10. 1915.
America Sooondl

America Seoondi
(From The Grand Rapids Herald.)
Ell Paso, Texas-Carranza has refused
to sign the agreement drawn MP by
Gems. Obregon and Scott, according to
reports reaching here. 1t Is understood
the only agreement Carranzs will &C.
cept will be one providing immediate
withdrawal.
Slowly. but inevitably, the price we
are paying for our Mexican follies Is
increasing.
For last Friday, add five American
miners, murdered between Rosario and
Mazatian.
For last Sunday, add three American
soldiers and three American civilians,
two Of whom were boys Zone a poor
deaf and dumb lad of but ten short
summers), murdered at Glenn Springs,
Texas, in another reckless invasion of
American territory.
Garry forward in the account a bal.
ance CT at least four hundred others of
our own flesh and blood who, during
the past three bitter years, have found
that to claim protection beneath their
country's flag was but to seal their
doom.
These are the debits-a few of them
and ever multiplying, multiplying,
multiplying
Where are the compromising credits2
Where3 In the diluted self-respect
that flows from a tainted philosophy
which mocks our traditions with
specious sophistry, that I'VE are too
proud to fghtf" In the diluted world.
respect which cannot but be less i'm
pressed when we plead "humanity's
cause" in Europe and upon the seas be-
cause of the fact that we have been
deaf when humanity" has called to us
in our own tongue from our own peo-
pie upon our own continents In an
absurdly empty pedagogy which thinks
it has increased our Psn-Americsn
influence" by showing such gentle
generosity to this particular Pan.Amer-
lean neighbor that no neighbor need
longer suspect us of either desire or
ability to protect our own men and
women and children9 These may be
Credits" but God knows they do not
compensate.
We deferentially argue with the
messengers of First Chief" who is
our own creation, who would be pow
erful nowhere If he were not power.
full through our own White House,
and who tells us what we may or may
not do-while Mexican revolutionists,
from that particular territory over
which this First Chief" supposedly
has some semblance of control, reinvade
our country and reinstitute their car.
nival Of blood.
Even the ultra. pacifcist dare not
argue that American men and women
have no right to be in Texas; dare not
argue that they should get out of the
danger zone" 1.-THE cheap expediency
which Bryan preached to our own PEG.
pie south OF the Rio .Grande). Three
states have now been inyaded-Texas,
New Mexico and Arizona-the first
record of:such unrequited degI edation
in half century and more. More of
our own flesh and blood have been kill
ed in three years of Mexican fiasco than
in any preceding decade since the civil
war. If it is jingoism to say that these
thing are un-American- and that they
violate American honor-then we need
a little Of such "jingoism" on guard for
few moments
We have vet to take one decisive step
In Mexican affairs-snd stick to it.
Slowly. but inevitably, the price we
pay for our'follies is on the increase.
Another punitive expedition will be
organized" 'Csrrapza will be notified
that these things have got to stop"
But these things will never stop until
we cease to think of Mexico First" and
America Second"
HIS iotC5e ihNd5lOh VI 1OAdb buc 4
last straw. 1t is harder to act decisively
now than it was one year, one month
or one week ago. But 1t Is not as hard
as it will be one week or one month or
one year later. We need punitive ex
petitions" now directed by American
necessity and not by Mexican indul.
gsnce. We need punitive expeditions"
that are run more to suit Funston and
less to suit Carranzs. We need a bor-
der gnsrd that will protect live Ameri.
cans instead of belatedly svenging dead
ones. We need consideration for
America First''Aand Mexico Second
instead OF the disgusting, disgraceful,
degrading reverse. 49," II