Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-12-14
THE STORY THE WEEK HAS TOLD

the Mexican authorities came first the fresl-
dents letter to Senator Fall. in which ne eA-
pressed disapproval of the New Mexico seha-
tors resolution to the effect that diplomatic re-
lationship with the existing government IN
Mexico be withdrawn, and then the revealing
of the full nature of the senator's disclosures
of CarranZas treacherous actlVltles against
the American government
The Presidents attitude in connection with
the Fall resolution cannot be taken as lnoica-
tive of any lack of interest in the extraordinary
disclosures made to him by that gentleman
He properly insisted, however, that the lnltla-
tive in directing the relations of the United
States with foreign governments is an execu-
tive job pure and simple. He undoubtedly
proposes to handle that job in the light OF the
Fall disclosures.
The presidential rebuke to Senator Lodge
and the republican committee on foreign reia-
lions followed by intricate developments
in connection with American oil properties IN
Mexico. Reports from Mexico to the effect that
the Mexican authorities Selling these prop
critics develop the fact from the State De-
partment that a series Of three notes have
comparatively recently gone forward from
Washington to Mexico City concerning Mexican
interference with the development of privately
owned American property in the Tampico fields
No reply had been received from Carranza.
What effect the determination of the repub-
lcan party to make campaign issue out of
the handling of the relations of the United
Departments representations in the immediate
future is a subject for considerable current
speculation. There can be no doubt that
little credit will rebound to the democrats in
this phase of their administration to date
There are strong arguments in favor of the
opinion that tardy effort will be made in the
closing months of that administration to re-
trieve what has been lost through lack of de-
termined insistence upon American rights. 1t
is not too late to demonstrate to Venustiano
a lntfn of hic
given name stand for nation that knows
when patience has been overextended
Not one man one woman in ten thousand
reads the annual reports made by the various
cabinet secretaries to their chief President Will
There is a pity in the fact For. has
been said so often and must be said still again
and again. there is in your heart. JIM and in
yours, Jane, too little appreciation of the sgni-
canoe of what this nation of yours amounts to-
Your pride in it is supreme. yet all too often
lacking the solid foundation of understanding
based upon familiarity with justifying facts
These facts are there for the seeking. Take
three of these reports made public during the
past week example They were made by
secretaries of the Navy, of the Interior and of
Agriculture.
From Secretary Daniels we learn for in
stance. that the American Navy energies from
the world incomparaby stronger and more
powerful than ever before. second only to that
of Great Britain, and far in advance of any other
foreign navy in Ships in men. and every element
of strength We learn that we have at the pres
ent time six huge battle cruisers and twelve
battleships under construction which to be
more powerful than anything afoat. In
other words, our naval strength bids fair, in the
near future. to surpass that of Great Britain
herself Take pride then. Jim and Jane. in the
nations first line of defense.
By Secretary Lane are told, among many
other things. of the splendid work that the
nation is doing in developing the greatest of
national resources the spirit and character,
the skill and intelligence of the American man.
Yet that which is being done in the vital work
of characterization is. we learn but a small
fraction of what is needed, and strong and
undenable appeal is made for additional effort
The report goes to bring home an apprecia-
ton of the vast natural resources of the nation
as in COAL in water-power in forests and in oil.
Secretary Houston's report dissipates the
erroneous impression that the yield of American
land per acre is steadily decreasing. In the
past twenty-five years there has been gross
increase of 10 per cent Our showing in this
respect while still far behind that of European
countries. gives fair promise. in that the
intelligent and unpatriotic agricultural methods
of the decade before 1890 have been definitely
discarded. The limited satisfaction and pride
to be drawn from this fact is materially aug
mented upon learning that the American farmer
thanks to superior energy and far in
telligent use of tools and machinery, achieves
a total output per man believed to be greater
than in any other country. Taking both acreage
and yield per acre into consideration the
age American farmer produces IS times as
much the average Belgian farmer: 2.3 times
as much as the English; 80 times much
the French; 25 times much the German
and over times much the Italian.
These but glimpses of what the ndi-
Gated reports contain Each is crammed from
cover to cover with statistics, announcements
and opinions which contain information vital
to Jim and Jane in their determination to be-
come that rarissima apis, the thoroughly in
formed American.