The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-05-06
MEXICAN PROBLEM
OUTRANKS LEAGUE
WITH LPASOANS
Lawrence Gets Insight Into
Border Desires and Finds
Texans Wondering About
Personal Benefits of Unity.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE,
The News Sclmltar's sneeIaI Cara,

OHNNhAt S0FENN
mr. %spondent.)
III fAsO, Tex, May 6.-Perhaps no
Where along the international line can
one get a better slant at the Mexican
situation thar here at FL Paso, a city
nhleh mas grown big in spite Of the
nAnaIeaps across the border and in
spite OF ne fact that. as the main gate
80 " the south, business with Mex
IcV mas been stagnant for years,
Mexico Is important because with Eu-
rope n economic paralysis no field Is
hdoIe isrtle, no resources more Access
sioie TOT development, and no trade so
tasly obIainable than that across the
ooIueI trade excursionists have Just
gone from Chicago and other cities in
lhe central West to survey business
possibilities They have come back inn
pressed So has everybody for
years about Mexico. Only at the bor-
ness with Mexico on a large scale, can
one divorce sentimentality from practi-
cal propositions and decide whether
rom a business viewpoint, Mexico Is
reaoy Tor the resumption Of business
accustomed in the peaceful days a
decade age.
The situation has not altered much in
these years, There are still two schools
o. oplnlon-those who think Mexico
WIN never be right, until something
like a mandatory is exercised in that
country as 1t proposed to exercise II in
backward countries under the league
OF nations and those who think Mexi-
cos evolution, while slow md irritat-
that in another year or W perhaps
with a more flexible executive in Mex
ico City than the present president, a
better understanding may be reached
and business resumed.
Business Side.
Folks back East have been inclined
more or less to look upon the Mexican
problem as a. border proposition pure
ana simple. But It is something more
u cohs,aered from a business view.
point. Mexico needs lumber and coal
Tor her business and plenty Of raw and
manufactured products to bring her
Out. From whence wrould these mate
rlhs Gomez Certainly not from distant
EUROPE. They would come from the
United States, the great producing and
manufacturing regions which today are
iooking ~nervonsly abroad In the hope
maj foreign countries may absorb our
rapidly accommodating SURPRISES and
thus keep labor employed and wages
from dropping and causing Industrial
disturbance.
Markets are the central need Of our
economic situation. South OF us Is a |
great market American capital Is anx-
q~uestionably this would rebound not
merely to the benefit OF the American
owners, but to the ''sumberged 80 ner
cent, who cannot forever depend upon |
q pa~ternalistio government, but must
Eecelve its stimulu toward a higher
development out OF the Improvement Of
living and working conditions and the
increase in individual opportunity.
american capital stands ready to help
Mexico as well as itself; Thus far the
central administration in Mexico has
refused to be helped, but In spite OF
that Mexico might nave developed fur
Their along economic lines II u firm
policy had not beer adopted dealing
with bandits who infest the rich regions
OF the country.
Chihuahua district, for example, while
francisco villa plumbers about at will
IL absurd, Only last week bandits |
wrecked q train on the Mexico North-
western railroad, $50 miles south OF EI
Paso, after the railroad company which
owns lumber mills at Pearson and Ma.
ORA had refused to pay a ransom to a
bandit crowd commanded by one OF
villas lieutenants. The train was run
on to a long trestle and burned so that |
NE Train and bridge were Destroyed
ana rolling stock is one Of the scarcest |
things in Mexico nowadays, too. It
makes shipping extraordinarily diff
cult.
Last week an FL Paso house wished
10 ship a carload Of potatoes to Tor
teon. No cars were available. 1t had
70 build a top on an old flat car to get
the shipment through. But such things
cannot stimulate trade on a large scale.
Ihere Is a movement on foot to have
the United states government send cars
INTO Mexico through arrangements with
The railroad administration, but who is
to guarantee their return or that they
WIN not be Immediately accepted by
rebel bands as private cars for them
fires.
Presumably the Mexican federal gov
ernment wants to exterminate h
bandits, but the generals sent into the
district Just south OF here either are
unwilling to proceed vigorously against
villa or they are afraid their troops
VIII not go after the bandit chief,
,oh league OF nations? Wei, the FL Paso
national problem on their hands for
years n they can be pgrdoned for
looking at all schemes for the better
ment OF the world with a practical an
plieation to that, part Of the world
menaced SO long by bandit raids from
across the boundary. France may talk
about security against a sudden inya-
sion by Germany. but the borders en-
thusiasm for or a~ntipathy towards
league OF nations depend upon security,
WV "oAieo mas not Deen invited to
become a member OF the league OF
nations. Well and good, II Mexico Is
10 be thus compelled by moral force
or any other way to protect nationals
and their property, But II exclusion OF
Mexico means simply an indifference TO
me Mexican problem, a continuation OF
the policy OF studied detachment which
our government has voluntarily or In
voluntarily followed during the war
then people here don't see any particu-
lar advantage one way or the other in
excluding Mexico, They don't take seri-
Dusty here President C~arranza's refusal
70 recognize the Monroe doctrine for
Americans In this section understand
the doctrine to be something which the
United States. when the occasion war
rants 1t, feels bound TO assert with.
out any particular assistance or con-
sent from my quarter. Being a sort of
unllateral doctrine or regional under
standing ito preserve peace" a. the
new peace treaty seems to phrase 1t
outside opinion OF the strength ar
weakness OF the doctrine. They are
Rlad hereabouts that Il was inserted in
the league Of nations, but thay would
be gladder still II the day were FASTENED
when 1t were asserted either dipjomat-
leally or otherwise to bring about con-
ditions Of peace In the bandit infested
regions across the line.
mere Ia the usual amount OF patience
with the Carranza government a sort
OF tolerance born OF necessity during
the war Frankly, most peonla here
would rather the Mexican government
Sleaneu lts own house and started hua.
Ihess, nat NOBODY believes they can 10
Mexico needs money and ass,.,s roa
from her %neighbors. She can get II I'M.