The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1919-08-01
MEXICAN SITUATION
DEMANDS ATTENTION
Virile Americanism Needed to Cope
With Difficulties Confronting
Us on Southern Border.

Washington, July 3l.-The Republi-
president, Hon. Jonathan Bourne Jr.,
TODAY gave out the following state
ment from its Washington headquar-
ters:
THE Mexican situation grows daily
more threatening. Closely following
the murder of an American citizen in
the Tampico district comes the re-
port of an attack on a party of Amer
lean soldiers in uniform and occupy
ing a boat flying the American flag
This latest insult took place within
three miles of the town of Tampico
where it is estimated 1900 Carranza
soldiers are stationed. Doubtless
immediate demands will be made by
the United States for an explanation
and an apology, which may or may
not be forthcoming. But, in any
event, these most recent manifesto
tons are merely two more incidents
in the long and unbroken record of
murders, confiscations and insults to
everythin~ American that has marked
Mexico's relations with this country
since the downfall of the Diaz regime
and the Inauguration of the Wilson
policy of watchful waiting. That pol
ic-. has been interpreted by the Mex
leans as standing invitation to com
NIT any excess they pleased against
citizens of the United States, and it
will be so treated just SO long as it
continues to prevent retaliatory meas
ures by this country.
Should Call Halt
"Is it not about time to call halt
and return to the only honorable
course that self-respecting nation
can follow-that of extending the pro-
lection of the American flag to every
citizen wherever he may be? There
is no doubt that patriotism is decid-
eddy on the wane in this country
From every side come mutterings of
discomfort. Societies of various
sorts and Of differing creeds on some
subjects are united in attacks upon
the existing government and demands
| for its overthrow. The mails arc
filled with their propaganda, and new
| publications are springing Up almost
every day for the spread of their doc
trines. Members of these organiza-
tions see in our federal government
merely an institution for the levying
of killing taxes; for the commander
ing and withholding from private
consumption of great quantities OF
food, clothing and other necessities OF
life; fer seeking to guarantee in ad-
vance our entrance into all the for
eign wars of the future: and for aid
| ing in and making certain the sue
cess of huge loans by combination
Of American bankers to newly created
and irresponsible European states.
While the government is engaged in
those activities the people witness
the wanton murder of our citizens at
our very door, accompanied by the
wholesale destruction of American
ropcrty. and repeated insults to our
flag. Is there little wonder that with
those facts before them some classes
of our people are insistent for a
change2
What this country needs above any
other one thing is a stimulation to its
patriotism. Let the people sec III
their government an organization
whose sole object is the maintenance
of the welfare of the citizen and the
protection of life and property and
| il will receive ungrudging support
from the public. Let those qualities
be lacking, and in their stead appear
the interests enumerated above, and
the government will surely lose tho
support of the people, without which
it cannot survive.
zone of the most positive steps we
can take toward the rejuvenation of
national pride is the adoption of a
Mexican policy that will have for its
objects the protection of American
life and property and the establish
ment of law and order in that dis
tracted country. We need but to re-
peat our record in Cuba, where we
staid only long enough to put the
country firmly on its feet and pro-
vide for the continuance of orderly
government. Such an attitude toward