The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1919-04-24

Mexico and who has just spent
| four months there on special detail
for the Daily Tribune.)
| Copyright, 1919, Newspaper Enter
prise ASSN
Mexico. City, April 23>-"l-see-the
| cow"
"A small woman stood before a chart,
! pointer in her hand, facing several
score Mexicans, old and young. They
! recited in unison. with odd infection
! Aye see the keow.'
! The second battle of Cowpens was
! on; the enemy in retreat
Moral intervention in Mexico had
begun. II was session Of the Eng
Iish class Of the U. S. committee on
public information.
The three score or more Mexicans
were gently being led into friendship
| for America instead of hatred for the
"Gringo''
On the walls hung portraits Of
| Washington, Lincoln and Wilson, fac
| ing portraits of Miguel Hidalgoy Cos
; tilla, Benito Juarez and Venustian0
CarranZa.
There were no oil cans in the fore
| ground, no ore sacks in the back
ground. They didn't chant, 81 see the
| bullets but Il see the cow" [ was
| impressed with their earnestness and
the friendliness with which they
spoke to their teacher
"Too bad,' the little Mexican-Amer-
ican woman in charge told me. "Elev-
en- hundred Mexicans come here daily
to learn your language They are po-
tential friends
"But we have orders to close the
school, from the United States!
| "Too bad, Chances are now that
never be real friends OF yours because
they cannot understand you"
stepped around the corner-to the
French alliance
There man stood before a black
board "'Parlez vous Francaise?" he
wrote. And that group of 'Mexica MS
studying French "parlezed' to beat
the band t.".
II suppose the school will soon
close, now that the war is over?" I
asked the English.speaking French
man. y
"No," he replied, 1--WE remain open
indefinitely. We want the Mexican
friendship, and this is the best way to
get it. When they know French they
will like us-trade with u.s."
The United States was fleeing the
field on the verge of great and in.
calculably beneficial moral victory.
Uncle Sam spiking his own guns.
Hun propagandists during the war
had kept dinning this at Mexico: "The
United States can't fight, will not
fight Then Robert H. Murray, head
OF the u. S. committee on Public in.
formation here, conceived brilliant
idea. He engineered tour of the
United States by 20 of MexicO's best
known editors at the expense of this
government. They found Uncle Sam
could fight, would fight and was fight.
ing. putting the finishing touches to
Kaiserism.
When these editors returned to
Mexico they looked over the Ameri-
can war cable and educational scrv-
ice. got the war cuts and photos, and
unwrapped the U. S. war posters.
Use them" they ordered.
| Murray's educational campaign got
into full swing, and the literate pco-
pie of Mexico rapidly fell into line
! tlWnLne AlueS
In addition to war cables, cuts and
matrices to 81 Mexican newspapers,
and a daily translated bulletins to 419
papers, Murray established an English
school with five capacity classes.
With no money except for legiti
mate display advertising of Liberty
bond campaigns, and few assistants.
he fought the German subsidized
press to a standstiA and a backdown.
Mexico's quota on Y. s. Liberty
Loans was oversubscribed more than
10 oper cent, large number Of the
bonds being bought by Mexieans.
! Murray exhibited the U. S. war
film, ."Pershings Crusaders" at the
largest movie house in the capital. at
a time when Pershing's popularity in
Mexico wasn't exactly high -. -.
It took rs Mexican policemen rs
minutes to halt pro-German demon.
strations in the audience when Per.
shine and Old GIovy flashed on the
screen. But by the time the last reel
unwound, there was nothing but ap.
p'ause. The Germans had packed
blocks in the audience, with instruc.
tions to raise hell" They did. And
they got it in turn. They were drag.
| 9ed into the streets by the police
and never returned.
Mexico must have been impressed
with the campaign, for shortly after
ward a queer incident occurred.
| frnnfNnnr0A De- \