Palisadian. [volume] (Cliffside Park, N.J.) 1906-current, 1916-05-06

Here is what Mr.. Roosevelt said to
the Methodists:
81 was President seven and half
years. This nation during all that
time never for one moment permitted
any Power to wrong this country or
to wrong Americans either in their
persons or property or to make US
recreant to our duty to others; and
yet during those seven and a half
years not one shot was fired by any
man in American uniform against
any foe, and not one American man,
woman, or child was slain by repre-
sentatives of any foreign nation"
His reference was to Mexico, con-
tinues the Post Very well, turn to
the Tribune index for 1904, under
"Mexico." We find the entry, July
%, "Two Americans Shot," In the
year 1905, the record for January IS
is II. A. Sanger Murdered" and for
January %, "Yaquis Kill Four Amer
leans" But the tell-tale year is 1906
The insults" to our flag were piled
thick. Here are some of the entries:
American Fishing Boats Seized";
American Fishermen Jailed;
American Sailors Charge Tortures."
1t was in June of 1906 that occurred
the crowning "infamy"-as Roose-
welt would have called it if it had
taken place under Wilson. Read
this: "How Americans Died at
Cananea." And then, oh, shame
faced Americans, read this: "Root
Denies American Troops to Cananea!"
There had been murderous out
break at the Cananea mines. Several
Americans were killed. What did
the imperilled American survivors
do? They sent to Washington,
through the American Consul at
Cananea, telegram urgently calling
for help. Even the Mexican Cover
nor OF Sonora was reported as ask
ing that the United States Govern
ment send in military force. But
what happened? Why, Secretary
Root consulted the Chief of Staff.
and 'the law officer of the War De-
partment"-think of the disgrace of
actually looking up the law!-and
decided that American troops must
not cross the line" Imagine it, Uncle
Sam putting on pigtail like that,
when Roosevelt was President!
That this was cowardly and alb
Ject policy, we know on the highest
authority. For it was Mr.. Roose-
welt himself who laid down the etern-
ally righteous principle in that speech
OF his to the Methodists. Referring
to the fact that Americans had been
killed in Mexico while Wilson was
President, he said:
"If, the very first time such an in
cldent occurred, we had acted with
. !as.aa. IiGilli1 |Il6 ii1iIsS the
but thirty minutes afterward, had
lnf1lcted immediate punishment on
the offenders, punishment of kind
which would have shown the extreme
unWlsdom OF repeating the offense.
there would never have been a repeti
ton of the offence.
Certain foolish pacifsts at home
would undoubtedly have been lacka-
dalslcal over the action, but it would
have saved hundreds of lives"
Alas, my brethren, the very first
time was when Roosevelt was Presi-
dent, and instead of acting with in
slant decision and crossing the border
In thirty minutes, he paltered with
the affair like lackadaisical paci6st
and would not send the troops at all
though they were demanded by the
beleaguered Americans at Cananea.
The great doctrine of 1916 was
trampled upon in 1906 by the very
man who now propounds it.
What are we to say about such
displays of inconsistency by COL
Roosevelt? Do they prove that he is
an unblushing liar? That would be
far too simple an explanation of his
complex psychology. He believes only
what he wishes heartily to believe.
His memory is SO excellent that it
retains nothing that it would be I'M
pleasant for him to remember. And
when the records are brought out
which seem to prove that he has
stultified himself, no one is more
surprised than he. He is so startled
| that he at once sets out to show that
the records have been falsifed, or at
any rate mean something very differ
ent from what they appear to on
their face. We know how he dealt
with the letters of Dear Maria" and
the Hartman documents. Within a
few weeks we have seen how he for
got the approval of President Will
sons Belgian policy which he pub
lished in September, 1914. Natur-
ally, then, he could dispose of the
Mexican facts adduced above. They