Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-07-02
"watehfuI WAITING" Continue.

officer in command at Ell Paso, or
for the War Department. than to
send troops across the international
boundary to put stop to the MUIR
derous fire that the Mexicans were
directing against our soldiers and
citizens. Yet the net result Of the
American invasion is to please no
faction in Mexico. but place every
American in that country in. danger
Of his life. Retaliation by Villa and
his fellow bandits will be the natural
consequence to follow our interfer-
ence in his designs on the Juarez
garrison. If the United States is to
be consistent it must take steps at
once for the policing Of Mexico suf-
ficiently to guarantee that Ameri-
cans there shall be unmolested so
long as they conduct themselves in
an orderly manner.
AS bearing upon the present out
break Senator Fall of New Mexico
has made public some very startling
information regarding the attitude
OF our government. and it's effect on
the situation. The senator declares
that prior to the raid on Columbus in
March. 1916. he demonstrated with
the State Department against per-
mission being granted for the move
ment Of Carranza troops across our
territory. predicting exactly what
would occur if such a movement took
place. His warnings went unheeded
and the horrible Santa ISABEL mas
sacre and the Columbus raid took
place shortly thereafter. Senator
Fall reveals that almost identically
the same circumstances surround the
present uprising of the villistas.
On May 26 Of this year. according
to information in the possession of
MIR. Fall, the State Department ad-
dressed the governors Of Texas and
New Mexico asking permission for
the movement of Carranza troops
through their jurisdictions. The day
after that request was made Senator
Fall was in, receipt Of a telegram
from the Ell Paso University Club
protesting against such a course.
Reference was made in the despatch
to the terrible aftermath Of the pre-
vious movements Of Mexican troops
through those states, and it was add.
ed, "Villistas have avowed even worse
revenge on American lives and prop
erty on its repetition"
The governor Of New Mexico
granted the request from Washington.
The governor Of Texas did likewise,
but later withdrew his permission on
the ground that 1t would antagonize
all those in Mexico opposed to Car
rama. and result inevitably in the
murder of American citizens and the
destruction of their property. The
State Department. thereupon, gave
publicity to the statement that the
request Of the Mexican government
had been refused. But it is sienif-
cant that this refusal came only two
days after the Department had asked
the governor to permit the passage.
Evidently, so far as the Department
itself was concerned. Mexican troops
could have free access to the United
States and provoked another situa.
ton similar to that which brought
on the masacres Of 1916.
The truth is that the Mexican prob.
lem is just where it was two years
ago or at any time since the abdica.
ton Of Porfirio Diaz. The Carranza
government continues helpless to pre-
vent the Villa forces from doing as
they please: American engineers en-
gagged in the development Of the re-
sources Of the country are in as great !
danger as ever. and utterly unable to
make a move to carry out their pro-
)ects; and the border towns Of the
United States are in constant dan ,
ger from bandit raids. The policy OF
"watchful waiting" has accomplished
nothing and gets us nowhere. why
not have a change. and show a real
to protect our citizens
wherever they may be? Such policy
once tried, will be found to add i'm
to our prestige among the
nations Of the world. and to our own
national self-respect.
Miss Rosa May Bowers, aged 16. of
Richmond. Me-. recently earned $1s in