New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-07-06
Carranza's Answer.

stand firm and when TO yield His latest
letter to our State Department is model
of discreet concession. 1t is the sort of
soft answer. coming in the nick Of time
which turns away wrath. II gives diplo-
macy new lease of life in field in which
her voice was about 10 be silenced by the
thunder Of cannon.
General Carranza does not want to go
to war with the United States. He sees
clearly that il would be runous for his
government and for Mexico to invite an
American occupation. His own elimina-
ton from Mexican politics would be one
of the inevitable consequences of a war,
and he knows, too. that whatever dis
avowal the present American Administra
ton might make of any purpose to acquire
Mexican territory, there would be great
risk of the struggle developing in such
manner as to convince American opinion
that our own security required the an
nexation of Lower California and the ban
dit-infested states of Sonora and Chhua-
hua.
Facing squarely the alternative Of war
or some modification Of his policy Of belli-
cose opposition to our temporary occupa-
ton of the lawless districts of Northern
Mexico. Carranza has wisely decided to
seek a reasonable compromise. He cannot
but recognize that the situation is anoma-
lous-that the violation of Mexican SOW
ereignty Of which he complains has been
in the main a technical rather than a real
violation.
There is no reason why the questions now
at issue between his government and our
own cannot be settled by ordinary diplo-
matte exchanges. It is as much to his IN
terest as it is to ours that further border
outrages like Villas attack on Columbus,
n. NJ, should be made impossible.
Our pursuit of Villa ended weeks ago.
There is no longer any military purpose 10
be served in keeping the Pershing eXpedi-
ton in Chihuahua. A working agreement
with the dc facto Mexican government
which would permit our forces to pursue
bandits into Mexican territory would be
lust as satisfactory a safeguard to the
border as maintaining garrisons at points
fifty TO one hundred miles inside the Mex
lean line.
There is therefore no serious obstacle
to a removal Of the causes of friction
which led to the skirmishes at Parral ana
at Carriza and which brought the two
nations almost to the edge Of war. The
American people shrank from the idea OF
fighting Mexico merely because the MeXl-
cans resented the later activities Of The
Pershing expedition. They shrank in the
same way from the idea of fighting Mex
leo in April, 1914, merely because of a
technical indignity to our flag IN Tamplco
Harbor-an indgnity which was apollo
gized for in part at the time and which
has never yet been apologized for by the
salute which President Wilson demanded.
We evacuated Vera Cruz in 1914, and
our punitive expedition is now about to be
withdrawn from Chihuahua. From the
first venture we came back empty-handed.
We shall soon come back empty handed
from the second Yet the country would
have gone unwillinRly to war on any Of
the issues directly involved in those in
yasions.
We have but one legitimate end in view
in our dealings with Mexico. That is the
protection Of American lives and property
and the lives and property of the subjects
and citizens Of the European nations
whose power Of Intervention in Mexico we
seek to limit under the Monroe Doctrine.
The Wilson Administration has interviewed
in Mexico on many other irrelevant pre-
texts-to serve humanity" to restore pos
session of the land TO the submerged poems,
etc. etc. But it has been extremely re-
luctant to admit its real duty 70 intervene
in behalf of American interests and the
interests of European nationals toward
whom we have logically assumed certain
relation Of guardianship.
War may be necessary as last resort
to reestablish order, civil government and
security OF life and property in Mexico.
But the American people will not admit
the necessity OF war until the value Of
genuinely constructive diplomacy has been
fairly tested. Our diplomacy so far has
been merely submersive. We have helped
the Mexican factions TO break down gov
eminent, to foster anarchy and 10 en-
courage the spirit of violence. 1t is time
that we did something TO build up whore
we have so far only torn down.
1t may now be too late for intelligent
and helpful diplomacy to accomplish any
thing. A settlement Of the immediate
causes Of dispute with Carranza over our
recent intrusion into Mexican territory
will leave the main Mexican problem still
untouched After three years Of blindness
and laundering we must still turn to our
real task of bringing Mexico back within
the circle of organized, orderly states.
Let us earnestly hope that American di-
plomacy will be equal 70 that inexorable