Arizona republican., 1916-08-01

J. ne OIllCldl EXCUSE OF lDe secretary
terly failed to perform it's obvious duty
to secure protection for the lives and
property of our citizens. 1t is most I'M
worthy to slur those who have invest
ments in Mexico, in order to escape
a condemnation for the non perform
ance of this duty. There can be no
such escape, for we have no doubt
and there can be no doubt, as to the
existence of this duty on the part of
our government. Let me quote the
words of the democratic platform Of
1912: THE constitutional rights of
American citizens should protect them
on our borders and go with them
the world and every
American citizen residing, or having
property in any foreign country, is
entitled to, and must be given, the full
protection of the United States govern
ment, both for himself and his prop
critics. The bitter hatred aroused by
the course of the administration multi
piled outrages, is why our failure to
afford protection to our citizens evoked
the scorn and contempt of Mexicans
Consider the ignomious incident at
Tampico in connection with the cap
ture of Vera Cruz. In the midst of the
greatest danger to the hundreds of
Americans congregated at Tampico
our ships which We're in the harbor,
were withdrawn and our citizens were
saved only by the Intervention of Ger
man officers, and were taken away by
their own German ships.
Meanwhile the administration ut
of the navy is an extraordinary COM
mentary. Our ships, it seems, had been
ordered to Vera Cruz; but, as it APP
peared that they were not needed. the
order was rescinded They, we were
told, our admiral was faced with this
remarkable dilemma. If he attempted
TO go up the river at Tampico and take
our citizens on board, the word of
aggressive action" as the secretary
called it, would have spread to the
surrounding country and il was AL
most certain that reprsals on Ameri-
can citizens would have followed. and
lives would have been lost" We had
so incensed the MeXicans that we
could not rescue our own citizens al
Tampico, save at the risk of the murder
of others. We must take Vera Cruz tC
get Huerta out of office and trust tC
other nations to get our own citizens
out of peril. What a travesty of in
ternational policy.
Destroying the government OF
Huerta, we left Mexico to the ravage.
Of revolution. | shall not attempt L
narrate the sickening story Of the bar
| barities committed, Of the carnival OF
murder and lust. We were then told
that Mexico was entitled to spill a,
much blood as she pleased to settle hei
! affairs The administration vacillatet
with respect to the embargo on the eX
! port Of arms and munitions to Mexico
| Under the resolution of 1912, Presiden
! Taft had laid such an embargo. II
| August, 1913 President Wilson, state,
| that he deemed il his duty to see tina
| neither side 10 the struggle in MeXic,
| should receive any assistance from thi
| side Of the border, and that the eXpor
Of all arms and munitions to Mexic,
would be forbidden. But in February
1914. the embargo was lifted. In Apri
| 1914. the embargo was restored Il
May. 1914. it was explained that tn
| embargo did not apply to American
| shipments through Mexican ports am
ammunition for CarranZa was subse
| quently landed at Tampico. In Sep
TENDER, 1914, the embargo was lite
on exports across the border: there
upon military supplies reached bot
Villa and Carranza. In October, 1877
an embargo was declared on all e,t
ports Of arms, except to the adherent
Of CarranZa. There was an utter alb
| sence of consistent policy
| For a time we bestowed friendsh
| on Villa. Ultimately, we recognize
CarranZa; not on the ground that Ii
had a constitutional government, bu
that IL was a de facto government
TIE complete failure to secure protec
ton to American citizens is show
conclusively in the note Of the secrc
tary OF state. of June 20, 1916, in whic
he thus described the conditions tina
have obtained during the past thrc
years.
For three years the Mexican re
public has been torn with civil strife
the lives of Americans and otht
aliens have been sacrificed; vast PROF
critics developed by American capt.;
, and enterprise have been destroye
: or rendered non productive; bandit
have been permitted to roam at wi
through the territory contingent to Il
United States and to seize withoJ
| punishment. or without effective a
. tempt OF punishment, the property
Americans while the lives Of either
? of United States who ventured to r,
E main in Mexican territory or to +,
turn there to protect their interest
have been taken, in some cases, ba
D barously taken, and the murdere
B, neither have been apprehended n
= brought to justice. 1t Won
r be tedious to recount instances aft
: instance, outrage after outrage, atr
city after atrocity. to illustrate &
I true nature and extent of the wild
. spread conditions of lawlessness al
= violence which have prevailed
: THE Santa Ysabel massacre, I
o raid at Columbus, the bloodshed
= Carrizal, are fresh in your minds. Aft
= the Columbus raid, we started a 'Pur
9 tive expedition We sent a thin Ii
q of troops hundreds of miles into Me1
co, between two lines of railwa
neither of which we were allowed
+ use, and which we did not feel
= liberty to seize We were refused pc
s mission to enter the towns. Thou
: thus restricted, the enterprise W
q still regarded by the Mexicans as
IL menace. Our troops faced host
II forces and il is not remarkable tn
e our men fell at Carrizal. What 9th
e result could be expected? We we
= virtually ordered to withdraw a
without accomplishing our purpose,
le have been Withdrawing and we 8
L now endeavoring to safeguard @
II own territory. The entire nation
j. guard has been ordered out and ma
y thousands of our citizens have be
II taken from their peaceful employmel
he and hurried to the Mexican border. I
= administration was to seize and pun
l. villa for his outrage on our soil.
~ has not punished any one; we went
G. only to retire, and future movemei
le are apparently to bo determined by
Is joint commission.
" 1.-THE nation has no policy of aggr'
sion toward Mexico. We have no {
re sire for any part Of her territory.
ne wish her to have peace, stability a
al prosperity. We should be ready to
20 her in binding up her Wounds, in