The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-06-08
President wilson's Transfer m alton
OF Our Relations with Mexico.


Our relations with Mexico became
strained In the closing days of the
Taft Administration. President TAFT.
did not undertake to formulate n per-
manent policy, feeling that Mr.. WILL
son should be allowed free hand in
dealing with the problems on our
southern border. Mr.. WILSON became
President in 1913.
Since then our armed forces have
made two elaborate and costly inva-
sions Of Mexico and numerous incur
sions on our soil have been made by
the Mexicans. The War Department
might tell us, IL 1t would, how many
Americans, civilians, soldiers. sailors
and marines, have been killed by
Mexicans. The list is long and con-
stantly growing.
Besides sending the army and navy
into Mexico Mr.. WILSON has had a
host Of special, confidential agents in
Mexico, whose reports have been in
tended to guide him in the adjustment
Of our affairs with that country. Curl
ously enough, our Ambassador to
Mexico was kept at home for n long
time after his appointment. Secrecy
and mystery have enveloped the Will
son Mexican policy from the begin
ming. Practically all the American
people know about 1t is that the Ma
tional Guard was kept on the border
for months and that there is large
force of soldiers there now.
This country is pow informed that
thirty army posts, requiring 997 build
lngs to shelter the troops assigned to
duty in them, are to be erected along
the Mexican border in Texas. New
Mexico and Arizona. Contracts for
the construction Of barracks. mess
halls. stables, officers quarters and
other necessary structures are now
being advertised by the Ouartermas-
ter's Department.
In short, President WILSON has been
able 70 create in six years and three
months n situation in which it Is
deemed necessary for the United
States 10 establish and maintain
powerful army on its southern bcNn-
dairy line, either to protect itself from
invasion or to menace its neighbors in
Mexico. The Government which has
boosted for generations that It needed
no forts and no soldiers on its inter
national boundaries Is compelled to
set up an elaborate military estab-
lishment where for many years a few
soldiers, few customs guards and n
few policemen We're able to maintain
order and enforce the law. The en-
pense of this will be heavy. but 1t can
be more easily borne than the humili-
alton it imposes on u.s.
1t Is well for the people Of this
country to remember that for gener-
atoms the United States and Mexico
were peaceful neighbors. cooperating
with each other In the maintenance of
international amity and the promo
ton of international commerce.
American capital and American brains
helped 10 develop the rich resources
Of Mexico; good will existed between
The two nations.
But to-day. after six years and
three months of President WILSON'S
policies OF "ldealism," after his rhe-
toricnl tributes to his devotion TO
democracy. after his oft repeated
declarations of his love for humanity
in general, love to serve which he
would sacrifice the sovereignty Of the
United States in the League of Ma
lions. the most friendly thing we can
do Is to build row of forts on the
Mexican border and line the inter
national boundary with cannon to
shoot peace and good will into peo-
pie whose transactions with us were
conducted on n high plane of friend
illness and mutual benefit for sixty
nine years without the aid of any
thing more formidable than the from
tlersman's pistol.