Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-12-18
MEXICO AGAIN

4
" a whiff of fresh smoke from the per-
sstent Mexican volcano blows across the
front pages Of the newspapers to cloud
momentarly the glamourous news from
France and to remind us that we still have
unsettled troubles at our own doors.
1t is to be a revolution now, we are told,
to unseat Carranza. This suggestion is
not novel. Unquestionably Carranza ought
to be unseated when better man can be
found to fill his place. But there are init
nations, discernible between the lines OF
recent dispatches, to indicate that the next
revolution in Mexico may be as far from
motives of righteousness as those that pre-
ceded it.
Any one familiar with recent Mexican
history must stop automatically in wonder
when he is solemnly informed that the
powers which threaten existing government
represent-or will representa- union of
the "Huerta and Madero adherents." SINH
lary it might be said that the junkers and
conscientious objectors have united to save
Germany or that the lion and the lamb
have entered into a cooperative plan to
bring universal peace to the animal king.
dom.
1t was deadly enmity between the Huerta
and Madero factions that split Mexico wide
open a few years ago. The Huerta Gov
ernment a bloody, tyrannical, strong
handed regime dominated by ruthless and
cruel self-interest - came into existence
directly through the murder of President
Madero whose mystic idealsm failed to
help or pacify the country What we
would like to know now is the nature of
the magical force that is to unite the two
forces heretofore most violently opposed
in Mexico.
1t may be necessary to look backward
over history for a guiding hint. In the
old times that are gone forever revolutions
could be made to order in a large part Of
Central and South America. Any one who
had a great deal of money invested in
concessions was sure, sooner or later, to
find the demands of controlling politicians
unbearable. When a greedy and unthink-
ing system of graft threatened ruin and
extinction there was but one way out.
The concessionaire financed a rebel band,
started a revolution, set up a new gover'-
ment and carried the territory a step for
ward to the light-through a good deal Of
waste and bloodshed. There are always
disgruntled and warlike factions in Mexico.
They have been befrended by European
and American interests before this.
For two years President Carranza has
been in a trance of pro-Germanism. The
navies that guarded civilization got most
Of their fuel oil from the Tampico fields.
The German emissaries at Mexico City con.
vnced the Mexican President that tre-
mendous export tax on oil would bring
vast revenues to the Government treasury.
! 1t would for a day or two. Then 1t would
automatically Euin the foreign investors
who developed the oil fields. stop the out.
| put of fuel oil and culmnate in govern
| ment confiscation of untold millions OF
| private property owned in America and
| Europe. - ....'..
This scheme has been carried forward
| with energy. President Carranza calls II
| a measure for the naturalization of in
dustries." The American and the Euro
pean Governments are busy. They can
protest and are likely to do no more for
| the time being. Are to assume, there
fore, that the latest of the artifc:all:' ere
ated revolutions is being stimulated in
Mexico by interests that see no hope in
any other method? .,. ,,a