Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-02-16


WIN them in pulling down that power.
i" august, 1913. through Mr.. John Lind,
ne presented to Huerta communication
which was lin substance a demand that
Huerta should retire permanently from
the government Of Mexico. When. Huerta
refused. the power Of the United States
was applied to turn him out. Foreign
nations were induced to refuse to his gov.
eminent the loans of money necessary to
repair the ravages of war and establish
order Arms and munitions of war were
freely furnished to the northern forces
and withheld from Huerta.
THE INVASION
FINALLY the President sent our army
and navy to invade Mexico and capture
It's great sea port, Vera Cruz, and hold
1t and throttle Mexican commerce until
Huerta fell. The government of the
United States interviewed in Mexico to
control the internal affairs of that indie
pendent country and to enforce the will
of the American President in those af.
fairs by threat, by economic pressure,
and by force of arms.
upon what claim Of rioht did
this Intervention proceed? Not to
secure respect for American rights;
not to protect the lives or property
OF our citizens; not to assert the
laws Of nations; not to compel OBJ
servance Of the law Of humanity.
On the contrary, Huerta's was the
only power in Mexico to which ap-
peal could be made for protection
of life or property.
That was the only power which in fact
did protect either American or European
or Mexican. 1t was only within the terri
tory where Huerta ruled that compare
tive peace and order prevailed The ter
ritory over which the armed power of
Carranza and Villa and their associates
extended was the theatre of the most APP
palling crimes. Bands of robbers roved
the country with unbrdled license Amer
leans and MeXicans alike were at their
mercy, and American men were murdered
and American women were outraged with
impunty Thousands were reduced to
poverty by the wanton destruction of the
industries through which they lived. The
payment of blackmail was the only pro-
tSStioii VI property against DuTHlIlSS anu
robbery. No one in authority could or
would give protection or redress. 1t had
become perfectly plain that the terms
upon which both CarranZa and Villa held
their supporters. were unrestricted oppor-
tunity and license for murder, robbery
and lust.
"Yet the government of the
United States ignored, condoned,
the murder Of American men and
the rape Of American women and
destruction Of American property
and insult to American officers and
defiIement of the American flag
and joined itself to the men who
were guilty Of all these things to
pull down the power Of Huerta.
WILSON TELLS WHY
why? The President himself has told
us. II was because he adjudged Huerta
TO lie a usurper; because he deemed that
the common people of Mexico ought to
have greater participation in government
and share In the land and he believed
that Carranza and Villa would give them
these things. We must all sympathize
with these sentiments but there is moth
ing more dangerous than misplaced senti-
ment. OF all men in this world the man
who had vested in him the executive
liberty to sit In judgment Of his own mo-
ton upon the title of a claimant to the
Mexican presidency or to reform the land
laws of Mexico.
MEXICAN RESENTMENT
The results of this interference were
most unfortunate. If our government had
sent an armed force into Mexico to pro-
tect American life and honor we might
have been opposed but we should have
been understood and respected by the
people of Mexico, because they would
have realized that we We're acting within
our international rights and performing
a nations duty for the protection of it's
own people; but when the President sent
an armed force into Mexico to determine
the Mexican presidential succession he
created resentment and distrust of mo-
tives among all classes and sections of
the Mexican people. When our army
landed at Vera Cruz. Carranza himself,
who was to be the chief beneficiary of the
act. publicly protested against it. So
strong was the resentment that he could
not have kept his followers otherwise
When Huerta had fallen the new govern
ment which for the day had succeeded to
his place peremptorily demanded the
withdrawal of the American troops The
universal sentiment Of Mexicans required
that peremptory demand. and the troops
were withdrawn. Still worse than that.
the taking of Vera Cruz destroyed con-
fidence in the sincerity of the American
government in Mexico because every in
telligent man in Mexico believed that the
avowed reason for the act was not the
real reason. The avowed purpose was to
salute to the American fog.
WHY SALUTE WAS DEMANDED
II will state the circumstances: On
the ninth of April, 1914. boats crew
from the Dolphin landed at wharf in
Tampico to take off supplies. The use of
that wharf had been prohibited, and the
Mexican officer in charge Of the
wharf put the crew under arrest, but
a higher officer ordered him to hold
the boats crew at the wharf and
await instructions. Within an hour
and half the crew was set free. No
injury or indignity was suffered ex-
cept the fact Of the arrest. Immediate
amends were made. The Mexican Of