New-York tribune., 1919-08-17
Y =
Trying TO Piece Out the
Mexican Puzzle
"HE Senate's recent author
ization Of sweeping investi-
cation of outrages against

lzation OF sweeping lnvesti-
cation of outrages against
Americans and American
property in Mexico with the ad-
dendum, "To report what, if any,
means should be taken to prevent
orch outrages," opens wider the
book of relations with the southern
neighbor who has persistently been
the cause of concern to this country.
The tone of most newspapers the
nation over is favorable to the Off
cial action just taken at Washing
ton, whether the result be amity or
interventiss1.
''The CYs=einnati Inquirer" hopes
for an amicable settlement, although
realizing the difficulties ahead:
"The Mexican puzzle is intricate, but
time may furnish solution not alto
gether unsatisfactory to the peoples of
the two republics. At present the
situation continues to be complex and
troublesome.
German commercial propaganda is
quite as much alive, and quite as dan
gerous, as it was before and during the
war. 1t is a something to be reckoned
with. and, in a certain sense, the Ger
man has the advantage. Mexican
leaders and populace generally do not
love US. They are suspicious of our
motives. Carranza is vacillating, stub
born. arrogant and treacherous. Obre-
gon, a really strong man, frankly is
anti-American. But all of these con-
ditions can be successfully coped with.
We are neighbors and we should be
able to live together in peace and har-
mony, and with mutual profit develop
ing from our commercial relations"
''The Los Angeles Times" plain
ly is for final showdown:
Germany had not destroyed with
all of her ruthless submarine warfare
one-tenth of the American lives or
ruined nearly so much property as the
Mexicans have destroyed and ruined;
yet Carranzistic Mexico is coddled and
encouraged in the belief that America
will not protect the lives of her citi
zens or even the sanctity of her flag"
"The Charleston News and Cou-
rier" sees no definite solution of
the situation ahead, but rather more
complications:
"Ambassador Fletcher's testimony be-
for the House Rules Committee re-
gardng the situation in Mexico can
hardly be said to throw much light
On what had better be done with re-
gard to that unhappy country. He
says, on the one hand, that although
about fifty American citizens have
been killed or outraged in Mexico
since 1917, not one arrest or convic-
tion is known to have resulted but,
on the other hand, he atfirms that re-
lations between the two countries have
improved during the past three years,
and that there has been a wonderful
submission to the Carranza rule in
government controls.
"This is probably fair illustration
of the puzzling results sure to follow
from any careful and thorough ex-
animation of the Mexican problem
The more one studies it the more
puzzling 1T appears and the more diff
ficult becomes the task of working out
n scientific solution. We NAV
accept as accurate Mr.. Fletcher's state
ment that Carranza is making head
way, and that it will do no good to
withdraw our recognition of him; but
these facts are of slight practical i'm
portance beside the fact that Ameri-
cans are still being murdered in
Mexico and their murderers are not
being punished. Soon or late these
murders are going to make our people
see red'"
After describing the oil situation
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