New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-06-21
The Note to Caranza.

latest note TO the Carranza government is
that it at last gets the Administration
policy Of Intervention in Mexico planted
on solid ground. 1t puts behind us--let us
hope for good and all-the misapprehen-
sions and decisions which have so griev-
ously hampcred our Mexican diplomacy IN
the last three years.
There are two passages in Mr.. Ian
sings note which stand out beyond all
others. because they mark most distinctly
the break with the confusions and errors
Of the past. The first is this: 1T is ad-
mitted that Americaa troops have crossed
the international boundary in hot pursuit
Of the Columbus raiders, and 1cithow no.
tice 10 or the consent Of your Government.
This admission was necessary in order
10 clear up the diplomatic situation and 10
nut the United States in the position OF
having sent its forces into Mexico as
matter Of right. When the Pershing eX-
pedjtion got under way it was announced
in Washington that the invasion Of Chi
buahua was undertaken in accordance with
an agreement made with the Carranza
government. No such agreement ever
existed. The Mexican government stated
positjyelv many weeks ago that 1t had
never entered into any compact permitting
General Pershing's army to operate ID
Northern Mexico 1t had merely expressed
its willingness to consider a protocol Tor
an agreement covering cases IN the tut
ure. under which American troops would
be permitted to pursue outlaws and Dan
dts into Mexico and Mexican troops would
be permitted to pursue outlaws and bardltS
into the United States.
The authorities in Washington were
very loath. however, to abandon the fction
that Mexican consent had been granted to
our partial occupation Of Northern Mex
leo. That reluctance put the United States
at a great disadvantage automatically
since it enabled the Carranza government
70 press home the charge, first, that our
exnedition was being conducted under false
nretences. and. secondly, that the United
states itself conceded. by maintaining the
fiction Of Mexican consent. that such CON
sent was indispensable, If intervention was
TO be justified.
At last Mr.. Lansing has swept away
this hollow pretence of Mexican acquies-
cence in the occupation Of Chihuahua. lie
admits the truth of the Mexican claim that
no consent of any sort was ever given. lie
boldly plants himself on the true doctrine
that no such consent was ever necessary
United States troops have, in fact, been
in Mexico for the last three or four
months. not as a matter of grace but as a
matter Of equity. They have been there
for the purpose Of protecting American
interests in a territory in which there is no
recognized Mexican authority which makes
the slightest pretence of maintaining or
der or Of securing our southern border
against raids by freebooters and bandits.
The second outstanding sentence of Mr..
LansinCs note is that in which the basis
is laid for the assertion that our troops
are now i'm Mexico i'm their own right 1t
is this: Protection of American lives and
property then, i'm the United States is
the first obligation Of this government,
and in Mexico is, first. the obligation Of
Mexico, and second, the obligation Of the
United States"
N That is sound, historic American doc
" trine. Yet it is now embraced and de
clarcd for the first time by the present
Administration. For months and years
the Administrations only concern about
Americans whose lives and property were
imperilled in Mexico was TO warn them to
get out Of that unfortunate country. Sec
rotary Bryan had only censure for those
who didn't get out quickly enough Presi-
dent Wilson said time and again that we
had gone into Mexico 80 serve humanity
or TO help the submerged Mexican poems
become peasant land proprietors. But
never a word about its being the natural,
traditional obligation of the United States
70 protect American lives and property in
Mexico, cooperating with the Mexican
government, if possible, but protecting
them in defiance of the Mexican govern
ment, whenever such course should be-
come necessary.
Now at last the country has an explana-
ton which really explains why large
part of our mobile army is in Mexican
territory. 1t is there not "to serve man
kind" and not to guarantee each peon the