The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-10-16
C. 0,P. MEXICAN POLICY WAS A
 RABBIT POLICY

Hughes, Refused to Pro-
 tect Americans on This Side of Border. \
 Official records. showing that the late Republican Administration did not even protect Americans upon | American soil, reveal the partisan na- ture of the attacks by Candidate Hughes and other Republicans upon the Wilson Administration on the pre- text that it has not protected the lives of Americans in Mexico. When Mex l ican bullets were flying thick in Doug las. Arizona, and five Americans had been dangerously wounded. President Taft in a telegram to Governor Sloan of Arizona advised ''the people of l Douglas to place themselves where bullets tcan not reach them and thus avoid chsualty." 1 On April IT 1911, Governor Sloan of Arizano wired the following mes-
 sage to President Taft:
 | Douglas, Ariz. April IT. 1911.
 The President,
 i Washington, D. c.
 | As result of today's fighting across
 the international line, but within gum
 shot range of, the heart of Douglas.
 Five Americans wounded on this side
 of the line Everything points to re- petition of these casualties tomorrow and, while the Federals seem dispos-
 ed to keep their agreement not to fire
 into Douglas, the position of the In- surrectionists is such that when fight l he ct of the intrenchments, people living in Douglas are put in danger of their lives. In my judgment Radical meas
 ures are needed to protect our inno- cent people, and if anything can be
 done to stop the fighting at Agua
 Prieta the situation calls for such ac- | ton. It is impossible to safeguard
 the people of Douglas unless the town
 be vacated. Can anything be done
 to relieve situation now acute? RICHARD SLOAN. Governor. Such was the cry from Arizona, in
 a "good old Republican" time; and this was the firm" and vigorous ac- tion' which Republican President,
 now supporting Hughes on the syump, took to relieve American, lives in Arizona from Mexican bullets:
 Rabbit Policy of Hiding Act White House. Wash, D. C.. | F April IS. 1911. | Governor Sloan, tg Douglas. Arizona l. Your dispatch received. Have made
 urgent demand upon Mexican Govern
 ment to issue instructions to prevent
 firing across the border by Mexican | Federal troops and am awaiting re- ply. Meantime I have sent direct
 warning to the Mexican and Insurgent
 forces near Douglas. infer from your dispatch that both parties at- tempt to heed the warning, but that
 in the strain and exigency of the con-
 test wild bullets still find their way
 into Douglas. I
 The situation might justify me in
 ordering our troops across the border
 and attempt to stop the fighting or to
 fire upon both combatants from the
 American side. But if I take this step, I must face the possibility o1 l resistance and greater b1oodshed, and
 also the danger of having our motives
 misconstrued and misrepresented and
 of thus inflaming Mexican popular in. Il dignation against many thousand Am. orleans now in Mexico and jeopardiz ing their lives and property.
 The pressure for general interven ton, under such conditions, it might not be practicable to resist It Is i'm possible to foresee or reckon the con sequences of, such a course and w, must use the greatest self-restrain to avoid it. T :. Pending my urgent representation t, the Mexican government, I canno
 therefore order the troops at Dougla to cross the border. but must asl you and the local authorities in cas- , the same danger recurs to direct tn l people of Douglas to place themselve
 where bullets cannot reach them an, , thus avoid casualty
 I am loaths to endanger American
 in Mexico, where they are nacessariI , exposed. by taking a radical step t : prevent injury to Americans on ou , side of the border who can avoid i by a temporary inconvenience. 7 Tn other words. the Republica, [ President William H. Taft, advised tn
 rabbit policy of citizens taking te thei f cellars or cutting for the prairies i 1 order to give the centending Mexica
 forces free franchise to shoot tflei F bullets into the heart of Douglas. s Endorsed by Lodge!
 At that time, Senator Henry Cabo = Lodge, now a severe critic of Presiden 7 Wilson's Mexican policy. was a vigor , ous defender in the Senate of Presi = dent Tafts refusal to BFatect Afneri
 can citizens on American soil, Ser t ateF Lodge said in the Senate: "Mr. President, we have nothing bu e the kindest of feelings toward the Re n public of Mexico. We all, I thinl Q universally regret the disturbance t that now exist there. We have n s outstanding grievances against Mez t ico. We have no questions betwee a the two countries. The unfortunat y incidents at Douglas and on the bol Q der are the results of the disturbe f conditions in our neighbor to tn
 south, and it seems to me that B every possible way we should use ou :, best efforts to help Mexico to settl = those differences; that we should sho, g the greatest consideration, and ths s we should avoid in every possible wa, e anything that looks like a threat or - resort to force"
 l. The Wool producers of the countr 0 are realizing some very handsome re
 turns, in some cases almost doubl