The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-08-18
JOITING CARRANzA.

Carranza has been warned that II
the murders and outrages of Ameri-
cans continue the United States may
be forced to adopt a radical change in
its policy with regard to Mexico"
Carranza has replied that he is do
ing the best he can. which may be
true. But his best, il that is what
he is doing. does not measure up to
the demands of the situation. nor is 1t
likely to do so.
Probably nobody else in Mexico
could do better. II he were so minded.
Mexico's help must come from the
outside. and there is nobody to give
that help but Uncle Sam. We must
do for Mexico what we have done for
Cuba and the Philippines. The longer
the job is postponed the more diff
cult it will become.
But admitting that Carranza is do
ing his best to protect the lives and
property of Americans, it may be
questioned that he is doing his best
for his country. An indictment of the
Mexican president by a writer in Les
lies reads as follows:
He denied the right of franchise to
his political opponents.
He compelled a weak and venal
congress to vote him the powers of a
dictator. which he exercises without
restraint or decency.
He created a vast number of gen
erals" to whom was given civil as we'll
as military power. and who are al
lowed to prey on the defenseless with
out check.
He has robbed the banks. confscat-
ed private property. debased the cur
rency, manipulated the national trans
portation system to the commercial
dered the revenues on military bench
men.
The public schools have been de-
clared q municipal instead of a fed
eral responsibility, with the result that
in most localities there are no funds
to pay the starvation wages of the
teachers. who have been forced into
strikes. only to be shot down by ma
chine guns when they attempted col
lectively to present their grievances.
The churches have been seized, and
in many places the exercise of rell-
gion has been restricted or suppressed
Thousands OF citizens suspected OF
being hostile to Carranza's govern
ment have been driven from their
MONIES and their property confiscated.
Even the decisions of his own courts
are set aside at will by the military
authorities supposedly answerabIe to
him. as in the case OF General Al
verez. a revolutionist, who was shot
at Vera Cruz in May. while under the
protection OF writ OF the supreme
court.
Policies like these can produce
nothing but ruin. The Insecurity of
life in Mexico is well evidenced BY
the statement OF United States Am
bassador Henry P. Fletcher. who re-
Gently told the rules committee of the
house of representatives that during
the three years he has represented
this country in Mexico City over fifty
American citizens have been m0rdei ed
by Mexicans. without one murderer
being brought to Justice. Congress
has a list OF 251 Americans slain by
Mexicans since 1911, and in Mexico
I Under Carranza," Gibbon names ass
Both lists are admittedly incompiets
The National Association for the Pro-
lection OF American Rights in Mexico
places the total number OF victims at
over 500. The astounding fact is that
our own government does not know
how many OF its citizens have been
assassinated in Mexico.