Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-06-11
NEW PLEDGE TO MEXICO
GIVEN BY THE PRESIDENT

ship toward Mexico. Some Of us. IL I
may speak so privately, look back with
regret upon some of the more ancient
relations that we have had with Mexico
long before our generation and Amer
lea. If / may now so accept 1t. would
now feel ashamed to take advantage of
her neighbor.
50 l hope you can carry back to
your homes something better tha assur-
ance and words. You have had con-
tact with our people. You know of your
own personal reception. You know how
gladly we have opened to you the doors
OF every establishment that you wanted
to see and have shown you just what
we are doing. and l hope you lave
gained the right impression as to why
we are doing 1t. We are doing 1t,
gentlemen, SO that the world may never
hereafter have to fear the only thing
that any nation has to dread-the un-
Just and selfish aggression of another
nation.
Proposes Agreement
Some time ago as you probably all
know, I proposed a sort of Pan-American
agreement. I had perceived that one diff
fculty in our past relations with Latin
America was this: The famous Monroe
Doctrine was adopted without your con-
sent and without the consent of any
Central American of South American
states. If l may speak in terms that
we so often use in this country. we said:
We are going to be your big brother
whether you wan us to be or not
w did not ask whether It was agree
able to you that we should be your big
brother. We said we are going to be.
Now. that was all very we'll as far as
protecting you from aggression from the
other side of the water. but there was
nothing in - that protaotad ,1,, .---
aggression from US, and I nave repeated
~ seen an uneasy feeling on the part
of representatives of States Of Central
n South America that our self-ap-
pointed protection might be for our own
benefit and our own interest and not for
the interest of our %neighbors. So I have
said:
Very well. let us made an arrange
ment by which we will give bonds. Let
us have a common guarantee that all
of us will sign a declaration of political
independence and territorial integrity.
Let us agree that IL any one of us. the
United States included, violates the po-
litical independence or territorial integ-
rity of any of the others. all others
will jump on her.
Il pointed out to some gentlemen who
were less inclined to enter into this
diidiSciicit tidH tiCi tidt TIA was,
in effect, giving bonds on the part of
the United States that would enter into
IN arrangement by which you would
be protected from us.
Now, that is the kind of agreement
that will have to be the foundation of
the future life of the nations of the
world, gentlemen. The whole family of
nations will nave to guarantee to each
nation that no nation shall violate its
political independence or its territorial
integrity. That is the basis-the only
conceivable basis-for the future peace
of the world, and ! must admit that /
two continents OF America show the way
to the rest of the world as to how to
make a basis Of peace.
Peace Only BY Trust
Peace can only come, by trust, If
you can once get a situation OF trust
then you have got a situation OF perma-
nent peace. Therefore every one of us.
it seems to me, owes 1t as a patriotic
duty TO his own country to plant the
seeds of trust and confidence instead of
seeds of suspicion.
That is the reason / began by saying
no you thai I had not had the pleasure
of meeting a group OF men who were
more welcome han you are, because you
are our near ~neighbors. Suspicion or
your part, or misunderstanding on your
part, distresses US more than we woulo
be distressed by similar feelings or
the part of those less near to us.
1T is you who can see how Mexico
future must depend upon peace ant
honor so that nobody shall exploit her
It must depend upon every nation tina
has any relation with her and the citi
zens Of any nation that has any rela
tiors with hei keeping within the bound
of honor and fair dealing and justice
because so soon as you can admit you
own capital and the capital of the worl
to the free use OF the resources o
Mexico 1t will become Of the most wonder
fully rich and prosperous countries Il
tho world.
"And when o have foundations o
established order and the world ha
come to its senses again we shall,
hope. continue In connection hat VII
8 assure y al peroaaent eordtality an
: friendship