Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-04-17
MEXICAN TROOPS NOT
TO PASS THROUGH US.
Request for Permission IS Denied
by State Department,
Senate Hears.
By Associated Press to Every Evening

BY Associated Press TO Every Evening
Washington, April 17.--Senator Knox
Republican, Pennsylvania, told the
Senate today that he was informed that
the State Department had refused the re-
quest of Mexican officers for a permit To
transport troops through American terri
tory TO move against the anti-Carranza
forces in Sonora.
Mexico's request for permission to send
troops through American territory so as
to attack Sonora from the north had
been referred to the War Department
by the State Department.
In announcing this today, State De-
partment officials said the request had
not come officially from the Mexican gov
ernment, ms they stated yesterday, but
from high officers of the Mexican army.
While the War Department was con-
sidering the request, Henry Lane Will
son, former ambassador to Mexico, con-
tinued his testimony regarding Mexican
affairs before Senate investigating COM
mlttee.
''The peculiar motives which induced
President Wilson TO adopt the policy or
rather lack of policy toward Mexico dur
ing the last seven years, he said, ARISE
evidently from the mental .obsessions that
all knowledge and NIL power rests in the
executive. | believe that he came to Of
flee with the idea that he had n mandate
from the American people to reverse all
the foreign policies of his predecessors.
Besides affecting Mexico this had
worked great harm Gin bringing about
| the domination of Japan over China,
| Mr. Wilson said.
Discussing the peace treaty contro-
versy the former ambassador said the
| President wrote Article Y of the treaty
| himself and though there are many
| more important sections than It, he has
caused widespread disaster by insisting
| that the whole treaty be rejected rather
| than let the Senate modify that one sec
| tion"
CAS- 10 Mexico, am informed that he
has already written plank on the subject
for the next national platform ot the
| Democratic party, indorslng and de-
| mapdinp n continuance Of this course
the witness continued. lie cannot he
changed.
ANYBODY who supports the Mexican
policy Of President Wilson is unpatriotic
and unAmerican. Eighty per cent OF
! Mexico's population is illiterate and
Indian, with distinct division between
the Indian of the north and the southern
Maya They have no concept of tine spun
political or altruistic theory but do com
prehend justice il It Is accompanied by
tirmness
Senator Knox stated later privat ely
that he had taken his information from
the New York Sun, which said the
American government will not grant
permission" for the transporting Of Mexi-
can troops across United States territory
An hour before the Senate met the
State Department announced that the
A. frsasV
army officers and not the government
had been referred to the War Department,
which had IL under consideration.
Senator Knox statement on the floor
was made in response TO vigorous protests
by Senators Smith and Ashurst oi
Arizona, against granting the Mexican
request
benouncing the Carransa troops a.
"murderers. Senator Ashurst declared
the state Of Arizona had some rights.
Il hope the governor will repeal with
force any armed gang of Mexican marau
ders, whether on train OF foot lfc said
'eThc time has como when If Arizona IS
to have no protection from the Federal
government she should have protection
from her own strong arm.
Both Arizona Senators said the Sonora
authorities were the only ones IN Mexico
who had been friendly to the United
States and had attempted TO protect
lives and property.
Senator Ashurst said be wished 10 call
the attention Of the President and thC
country to the fact that the American
border PATROLS pitably INADEQUATE.
Senator Smith told the Senate that the
investigations made by Senate sub-com
mittee of which he is a member, had
shown that '1he Carranza government
has stood against every interest ot th'
United States
Carranxa soldiers, he added, have beei
killed in uniform while marauding OF TIM
American side Of the border.