The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-02-19
The state Departments Brief on
Mexleo.

Senator FALL Is right when he says
that he response Of the State De-
partment to his resolution Of inquiry
about the Mexican policy Of the Gov.
eminent is only intended ITO scatter
the fire. of critics Of the Administra.
ton. This sO.called report is in the
form Of a letter to the President, aud
II vas transmitted to the Senate
~forty-two days after the Fall resolu-
ton was adopted. II Is a political
document. in fact IL Presidential cam.
paign paper, characterized by special
pleading, and more notable for It's
omissions and evasions than for any
Information communicated.
Mr.. WILSON'S negotiations with the
Mexican factions are hidden In the
refusal to produce reports Of diplo-
matte aud consular and secret agents
which would tell the true story. The
intimatiOn that to send these com.
m%unicatlOns tn the Senate would he
Incompatible with the public interest
might have been plausible before the
recognition of CARRANzA, but there Is
no force or reason In II now, pspe-
cially as the assurance is given that
the present de facto Government sis
affording reasonably adequate pro-
lection to the lives and property Of
American citizens"
All that the Departments report
has to say on the subject Of the de-
cision to outlaw VILLA and accept
CAREANzA ut his W valuation after
he had refused to treat with the Ad-
ministratiOn is the stalest kind OF In.
formation. The Senate and the coun.
try knew all about II before. Mr..
WILSON may confidently" expect that
the present fIe factol Government
will. within n reasonable time. be
merged in or succeeded by a Gov
ernment organized under the Consti-
tuition and laws Of Mexico" but 1t Is
only conjecture and there may be
two opinions about II. There can't
he more than two. and incredulity IS
supported ny the long record of Mex.
! lean revolutions. The fact that. as
the State Department says, the Car
. rama Government has made Quere-
taro and not Mexico city It's capital
l. ominous. Significant Is the admis-
sion that the suppression of lawle>s-
ness Twill require some time for It's
accomplishment. pending which 1t
may be expected That they 1.-THE ban
dits"l will commit sporadic Outrages
upon lives and property"
The Administration should have
been above the attempt to show by
: suggestion that conditions In Mexico
were not much worse In 1913, 1914
and 1915 than they were In the last
three years Of Mr.. TAFT. A contemp-
tible political ~eypedient. OF course
the truth Is that while MADERO was
President there was II constitutional
Government In the city of Mexico,
! and except in Morelos southern Mex
leo was fairly well governed. whereas
since the fall of HrERrA the condition
has heen one Of anarchy in nearly
every State Of Mexico. The Depart
ment's list OF murdered Americans In
the last three years, which. by the
way, does not include the massacre
near Chihuahua, Is obviously incOm-
plete, and Its list Of murders In 1910,
1911 and 1912 II here and there only
a tumble Of names and under grave
suspicion Of padding.
The response to the Senate resolu-
tion will make a lame document for
political uses, because It reflects a
weak case that shuns the light Of
day. We fancy that the fire directed
upon It In the Senate will not be scat
terod hut effectively COncpntrOtcd