The sun., 1916-08-26
Secretary Baker In the Maine CAM
palgn.

paign.
The attempt Of Secretary BAKER
In n speech at Waterville, Me-. To ns-
socinte President TAFT with MIR. WILL
sons policy toward Mexico ANA Ia!
on Mr.. TArr's shoulders II part of the
responsibility for what has happened
in that d~istressful country was dis
ingenious. to put II mil'l'I. "fres'-
dent TAFT declined tn recognize the
absolute monstcr HrERrA." Mad Mr.
BAKER, giving his audience the i'm
preston that Mr.. TAFT blnzed the
way for his Successor. prescribing
Hr.RTA on moral grounds and initi'
ating the policy of watchful waiting.
Secretary BAKER proceeded:
president WILSON withheld rccogn.-
ton from HUERrA. and the long ana
troubled curse of our dealing with Mex
leo has been. in part at least, because
both President TAFT and President WILL
SON believed that "A nation owing JUS
tice, as I hope We love II. could not eN-
tend It's favor to this medieval dcspot,
cast up with all of his yillainies upon
his head as hotsam by the waters Of a
revolution otherwise hopeful and pure as
to its object
We don't like thi>. Mr.. Banner. How
can YOU fail tO know that ';elernl
HuERTA assumed the title of Fru>i-
sional President of Mexico on Frbru-
AIRY ~, 1913. twelve days before l're>i-
dent TAFT retired from office and that
the question of recognizing HrtRrA
was appropriated! and delicntsly left
to the incoming President If IN"
United States. on whom the duty
would devolvc IN conduct negotiations
with the Mexican Government aud
formulate II policy for the new All
ministration. To intimate that Pres.
ident TAFT refused to recognize
HUERTA because he WIS II medieval
despot and II Within j. II piece "f in
tellectual dishonesty. That was WooD-
ROW WILSON'S reason for rejecting
and prescribing HrERrA. Why drag
In WILLIAM ii. TAFT:
No. In the slightest degree was
President TAFT responsible for 'the
long and troubled course of our deal
ing with Mexico Mr.. TAFT recog-
nized Francisco MADERo, II con>titn.
tiOnally elected President. and. II will
he remembered. the revolt of FELIX
DIAz In February. 1913, anne like II
holt out IF the blue. at II time when
our relations with Mexico were un-
troubled and satisfactory. \ decent
regard for the opinions of mankind
President to withhold action upon the
chaotic situation that was precipi-
tnied by the murder "f M>prRo and
The acquisition Of power by %lirERrA.
- Mr.. BNktR cnnnot divide the re>l"l-
sibility for the policy of watchfml
waiting and its bitter fruits by put
ting the clock back.
Fortunately. eX-President TAFT has
had something 10 say about Mexico
in the last three years, and any man
Of sense and fairness can make his
W deductions. Speaking before the
University Of Toronto on February
u. 1918, he said that among other
rights which the President of the
United States had to exercise was
that of deciding whether he would
recognize or refuse to recognize the
Government of u foreign State, and
Mr.. TAFT added Significantly,
"In tbe ease, for instance, of CAR
RANzA and VILLA, the exercise Of the
power Of choice between rotten apples
may have serious results
At Denver in an interview on .\u.
gust IS, 1913. Mr.. TAFT said that IF
we had approached the situation In
Mexico Wth proper ~forcthought we
would not he facing intervention 10
day" Note this observation to the
Philia Club in this city (.April II,
1870, because II bears upon the eth
les of recognizing General %iirEHTA:
"When We deal with a people like
the Mexicans we must understand that
with a people who dabble In politics and
revolutions II . man loses out Il means
that Ne loses his head. and that's an
there is about it."
And consider this Judgment with
lis tactfnl reference to Mr.. WILSON'S
decision when he took office from an
INTERVIEW in New York, August II,
S0l5):
W made a serious mistake at the
a "utss1' not In failing to recognize
suLSTA. but in actually departing from