The commonwealth., 1916-04-18
Carranza's Failure to Act.

If Carranza s long communication
to Washington is intended to be no /
more than an invitation to discuss
terms on which the American expedl- |
tionarv force will be withdrawn from /
Mexico, there ought not to be much /
difficulty in finding the answer The
force will be withdrawn when Villa Is
slain or captured, and the bandits he
has commanded so dispersed they Will
no longer be capable of making trou-
bic on the border.
1t is ridiculous for Carranza to speak
of his ability to deal adequately with
Villa and his gang, unless 1t IS to be
assumed that ability is not accompan-
led by willingness. The troops under
General Pershing have penetrated now
nearly 400 miles into Mexico, meeting
on their way several detachments of
Villistas, but encountering no material
evidence that the armies OF the de
facto government are either able or
deslrous to cooperate. Reports OF bat
ties between Villistas and Carranzis-
tas have proved invariably on investi-
CATION to have been the products Of
some ones overactive imagination.
If Carranza has $4,000, or even 90
900 mobile troops that he can put into
the field against Villa, in whole-heart-
Ell cooperation with the United States
forces, there should be small difficult
ty in putting down the last vestige of
organized opposition. That result achi-
eyed and the border suitably patrolled,
it might be even possible for the Wash
ington government to abandon for the
time its demand for the production of
Villa IS body, dead or alive. That would
not be a popular solution Of the diff
Guilty, but ii is a conceivable one. 1t
would rest, however, on the withdra wal
of the bandit chief to some .mountain
fastness, where pursuit would be prac-
tically hopeless, and the restoration of
, peace and order through the broad
stretch of country now given over to
pillage and destruction.
The plain fact of the matter is that
Carranza has held aloof from the Am
erican effort to punish an Invasion OF
American territory and the murder
Of American citizens. That offense
was scarcely less against the de facte
government Of Mexico than against
the United States. That it could have
been committed and that the perpre
tators, Or some Of them, found it pos
sible to escape, are sufficient indication.
that the Carranza authority was an(
continues largely fictitious.
There can be no withdra wal of th'
expeditiopary force that leaves tn
situation as it was. The United State
no longer will endure the possibility O
night attacks on its border towns an,
the assassination of peaceful citizens
When Carranza can show he is no
only prepared, but determined, to main
tain order, the case viii be different
: but as yet he has supplied no such de
monstration. The best proof would b
the apprehension Of Villa.
In the meantime, the American pul
suit Of the bandit chief must go OF
even though it invites further danger:
The clash at Parral, of the dimension
of which the meager dispatches ye
leave us i'll doubt, is an indication O
how real are the dangers. There woui
be more hope of just and satisfactor
solution of the whole problem if tn
character and capacity of Carranz
were other than they are. A vail
pompons, wordy. querulous old man,
is crowning misfortune that wounde
/. Mexico must lean on such a broke
reed.-Richmond Times. Dispatch.
Difficulties Of Dealing with Carranz
According to Senator Falls report
;. he has been in New Mexico investiga
ing the Columbus affair-when Vii
retreated into Chihuahua there wei
at least three Carranza garrisons With
striking distance of his line of mare
l. Every one of them drew aside an
quietly allowed the bandit to pass. On
indeed, consisting Of 700 men, was wit
in sh ogitehtf intaoinshrdlutaoinlr
in sight of the Villa band as it ira
l. eled to the south, and never fired
shot. And this is the army of the go
ernment that is now arrogantly i
sisting that it is fully competent to de
with Villa
s. It is quite credible that Carranz
personally, would give great deal
see Villa hanged. But it isn't Ca
rama on whom we must depend to
the hanging; it is the army and Il
army is of different opinion. II
:, common Mexican soldier will fight
cheerfully for Villa as against hir
in fact, after every ''battle'' in Me
leo the rank and file of the conquer,
army customarilv goes over to the Vi
! tors. The army sees no particular he,