New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-10-05
Without a Country.

mining interests VINO appealeu lOl CO'S'NNA
alton to the INSTRUMENTATION JOINT Com
mission at Atlantic City must nave had
nremonition that their mission would be
vain. If they didn't, they were quickly
dsillusioned. Nobody could reasonably
have expected either the Mexican or the
American commissioners TO take an IN
terest in their troubles. To the present
Mexican government they are merely for
eign capitalists from whom ready cash IN
the way of taxes and penalties may be
opportunely extracted. To the present
American government they are men with
out rights and without country.
They could have learned all that with
out going to Atlantic City. They must
know by this time that in the eyes of First
Chief Carranza and of President Wilson
they have been guilty of objectionable
crimes. Carranza sees in them the de-
fenceless owners OF property which can be
confscated to advantage for the support
of his bankrupt and half-starved revolu-
tionary government. President wilson
sees in them a disagreeable obstacle to the
pursuit in Mexico of his policy of ignor-
ing American rights and interests in order
to have a freer hand to 'serve mankind.
What chance has any American in Mex
leo to escape mistreatment and spolatlon
when the President Of the United States
brands him as interloper and trouble
maker there? In his recent speech accept
ing the Democratic Presidential nomlna-
ton Mr.. Wilson showed clearly that he
thought there were other considerations in
Mexico far more important than caring
for American interests. He washed his
hands of all responsibility for the welfare
of Americans beyond the border when he
said: eve could not act directly in that
matter 1.-THE protection Of American lives
or property without denying Mexicans
the right to any revolution at all which
disturbed US and making the emancipa-
ton of her own people await our interest
and convenience"
In an article in "The Atlantic" for Oc-
tober Mr.. Charles W. Eliot, defending
what he considers the Presidents Mexican
policy to be, says:
ITO President Wilson's Administra-
ton the country owes its thorough
connrittal to two policies which nearly
concern it's righteousness and its dig
nifty. The first of these policies is
No war with Mexico. The second is
No intervention by force of arms to
protect on foreign soil American COM
mercial and manufacturing advent
urers who Of their own free will
have invested their money or risked
their lives in foreign parts under alien
jurisdiction. America has
now turned its back on the familiar
policy of Rome and Great Britain Of
protecting or avenging their wander
ing citizens by force of arms, and has
set up quite different policy Of her
own"
Here are two frank avowals Of the
Presidents purpose TO deny American citi-
zens who 90 beyond our borders the pro-
lection which is their due. According to
this pusillanimous theory an American
who establishes residence abroad or in
vests money abroad becomes a man with
cut a country. This is a shocking per-
version of the true American doctrine, so
clearly stated on Tuesday night by Mr..
Hughes and Colonel Roosevelt. The for
mer said: eve are Americans, and Amer
lean rights must be maintained throughout
the world. That is the cornerstone of our
security; that is the essential basis Of our
peace"
And Colonel Roosevelt said: owe can
be certain that with Mr.. Hughes as Presi-
dent our people will be protected in their
lives, in foreign lands or on the high seas
that il the primary duty; that is the
first duty-and in the next place that our
people will be protected in their property
in foreign lands or on the high seas-a
secondary duty, but an important duty
also"
The President has set up in his dealings
with Mexico a new, invertebrate theory Of
our governments obligations TO it's citizens.
That theory has not been followed in his
dealings with the Dominican Republic or
with Hayti. We are collecting the Oomini-
can Republics customs duties and using a
large part Of them 10 discharge that re-
public's foreign obligatons-many Of the
latter created under exactly the same con-
dtions as now prevail in Mexico. Re
Gently our marines suppressed by force
an instruction in the Dominican Re
public which threatened 70 interfere with
our administration Of that country's Gscal
affairs.
Mr. Wilson sent troops into Hayti and
forced an American protectorate on that
republic. Under the terms Of the treaty
with the United States, which the Haytlan
Congress ratified under duress, we are
going ~ supervise the collection Of HaytTs