The Republican journal., 1916-04-20
AN AMERICAN is WANTED.

Tribune in its issue of April 18th. that
1--WE are for Colonel Roosevelt because
the country needs him" seems to have
attracted very little attention, which we
take to mean that the Tribune is no
longer the important factor in public
affairs that it was in The past. In fact
it lost it's "voice of authority" when
Horace Greeley went into his ill-starred
campaign for the presidency, and the
deaths or transference to other fields of
the men who made it great newspaper
in all it's departments, and political
authority, have lessened its influence
and prestige. But the Tribune is right in
its demand that the Republican candi-
date for the presidency should be one to
lead the fight for Americanism; and that
we believe to be the prevailing, and
growing sentiment throughout the coun-
try.
When President Wilson went into Of
flee the United States had attained the
position due to its intelligence, wealth
and population-a position second to
none of the great nations. Our flag was
respected everywhere and protected our
citizens at home and abroad. When
Germany proposed to take possession of
territory in Venezuela she was warned
not to do so, and when her ambassador
notified the officials at Washington that
Germany proposed to disregard the
warning, he was told that our ships would
be ordered to Venezuela at once. That
ended it. Germany did not interfere in
Venezuela.
How is it today? Germany has been
playing with this country, fooling US
with false promises, numbering our peo-
pie, men, women and children, and the
"notes" of President Wilson have been
regarded as mere scraps of paper. How
is it with Mexico? President Wilson
had to call upon three of the South
american republics to help him out of
the difficulties he had got into by inter-
terlng, without right or authority, in the
affairs of Mexico, and ever since he has
been In office the numbering of Ameri-
cans In Mexico and the destruction of
American property there has continued.
Villa, the notorious bandit the admins
tratlon sought to make president Of
Mexico, and who had been supplied with
munitions from this side of the border,
ralded town in New Mexico, numbering
men, women and children, looting and
burning property, and small force OF
U. 5. troops was sent into Mexico to
capture him. Carranza, recognized by
President Wilson as the provisional
president of Mexico, threw every OBJ
stacle in the way of this expedition and
last week demanded that our troops be
withdrawn. Sundays papers brought
the news that our troops would be re-
recalled without accomplishing the pur
pose for which they were ordered into
Mexico. This recalls the sending of
ships to Vera Cruz and the capture of
that city at a sacrifice OF American
lives to demand salute to the flag,
which was never given.
In view of these conditions is it any
wonder that the country should be call
ing for a man IN the White House who
can and will restore this country to the
position it held, and is entitled to hold,
among the great nations; that it may no
longer be regarded with humiliation at
home and derision abroad? Not a man
who would recklessly plunge the coun-
try into war, but one who would stand
unfiinc hingly for the right, for the hon.
o r of the country and the protection of
is citizens and their property, even if by
so doing we were obliged to go to war
But such stand would GO far toward
averting war, while trucking to bandits
in Mexico and submitting to insolence
and insults from Germany may yet in
volve the country in two wars, for which
we are unprepared.
The Boston Transcript exposes "the
partly amusing and partly annoying pre-
tension now volubly put forth that Pres
ldent Wilson is confronted with the
gravest crisis in the history of our coun-
try, and with the most difficult problems
that any President has ever had to
solve. - and that therefore call men
should refrain from critizing him, but
should give him implicit confidence and
unwavering support" by citing the case
of one of Mr.. Wilson's Democratic pre-
d ecessors, President James Buchanan
1t says:
We would not minimize the gravity of
the crisis which is, or may be, before
this country, or of the problems with
which the Government has to deal But
we cannot for a moment concede that
they are nearly as grave as those with
which the country was confronted in the
administration of one of Mr.. Wilson's
Democratic predecessors-tha prede-
cessor whom of them all Mr.. Wilson in
temperament and method most resem>
bles. Now we are confronted with the
mere possibility of involvement in for
eign war; but then we were face to face
with the certainty of the greatest civil
war in history and the disruption of the
Union. Now we are troubled with afro
cious disturbances in Mexico; but then
We were threatened with European con-
Nff hot nf~vy