The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1916-04-25

mouth diseases; It's horses with gland
ers; It's fences with decay; its wells
with typhoid; its people with small
pox. And in the name OF freedom we
refuse to allow our sanitary officers
on the premises and thus far we have
kept all others of. (After the present
war we shall be able to keep them of
no longer. II our own have not mean
while gone In and cleared up.)
We do not advocate grabbing"
Mexico. But we do not see how even
guardian Of humanity can think he
Is accomplishing anything for human
ity by allowing the present chaos and
misery to continue until England or
Germany or Japan rights 1t.
Is It morally reprehensible to permit
those Mexican poems, the eighty-fve
per cent whom Mr.. Wilson SO greatly
loves, to 80 back to farming and quit
shooting each other? And is 1t wrong
TO compel those who prefer to keep
shooting to change their minds very
rapidly or die?
sect OF nonresistants would say
"Yes"-that the use of force even
against the most violent and hateful
foe is always wrong.
But Mr.. Wilson is not one OF them.
He does not wish to use force against
Mexico. to be sure. and the force he
has used has been so handicapped by
his negotiations with Carranza as to
the use OF railroads that ii has had
to do three times the work to accom-
plish one-third the results possible
for a force OF its size.
But Mr.. Wilson evidently Is willing
to use force against Germany.
The difference is this: In the one
case we engage in a relatively short
and certainly successful campaign
against Mexico. which will result in
the inclusion within our sphere Of in
fuence. both for its benefit and our
own, Of n vast. fertile, potentially rich
neighhoring territory. We need have
no more definite political relations
with 1t than we at present have with
Cuba, Nicaragua, Hayti. Probably
even Mr.. Wilson would not wish us
now 10 withdraw our protectorate
from those countries and permit them
to relapse into the condition in which
Mexico now is and will continue to
be under Its guerrilla bandit leaders.
In settling the Mexican situation we
also remove dangerous flank, and an
excellent excuse. for attack from a
great power.
In the other case we engage in
war with the chief military power in
the world in the expectation OF doing
with the aid OF our feeble arm what
four or five Of the great powers OF the
world have been unable thus far TO do
with their strong arms-crush Ger
many.
II you look into the pages OF history
you will find that Germany has had
wars lasting thirty years and with
truceS nine years and seven years.
1t may be not less than seven years
before we can get out Of this war II
we get into it.
II we win in war against Mexico
we know what we get out of it-a Sc
cure continent. And 1t is practically
impossible for us to lose.
II we finally win in a war against
Germany. what do We win? Blessed IL
we know. THE overthrow of German
j.
Yes. and the substitution of some
other-Russia's. perhaps. or Japan's.
There is always some chief military
power. just as there is always one
biggest boy in school.
Our best interests are bound up in
the preservation Of the balance OF
power in Europe and Asia. not in the
ascendancy OF either faction. Win or
lose. the submarine is here to stay
as commerce destroyer. just as
much as the machine gun and the
forty-two mortar.
II we win in war with Germany we
get-What? England, France, Italy,
Japan and Russia retain their power
and probably cut UP the German col
onies and outlying districts among
them. We get-what? II Mr.. Wilson
has made bargain with the Allies
as to our compensation. he hasn't let
Congress. or so far as we are aware
anybody else. know.
II we lose in war with Germany
"Ah," is the explanation, "but that is
impossible. In time Germany will be
worn down." 1t is probably true we
should win in time, hut not necessarily
SO. by any means. Many things might
happen. What. for instance, il Russia,
having got all the Black sea and Per-
sian territory 1t wanted. concluded a
separate peace. Russia did similar
thing in the seven years war against
Frederick the Great and so Frederick
won. With Russia out of it. the rest of
us could never whip Germany.
However, though Fate offers us
golden apple In Mexico and bitter fruit
in Flanders, Mr. Wilson. being for
Humanity" rather than for America.
wishes us to taste the bitter one. He
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