Omaha daily bee., 1920-02-17
Our Merican Problem
Minneapolis Tribune.

Rutherford J. Platt, Jr., writing in the current
number of the Worlds Work on What Kind OF
Intervention for Mexico?" says there are three
courses open to the United States in dealing
with that country.
One is to continue the present policy OF
"watchful waiting" from which the "watchful
might as we'll be eliminated for all the good II
does. Such course, he says, would both ig;
more the conditions which that policy has ag-
gravated, and what is worse, would continue
conditions which are liable to lead to sudden
and blind precipitation into a Mexican war
That is to say, the provocation may some day
become so great that Intervention cannot be
avoided.
The second course suggested by Mr. Platt is
to pick out decent and patriotic liberal ele-
ment, or a coalition of such elements, and ac-
cord to them the support of our government
toward the formation of new Mexican admin
istration. How this would materially differ from
the attitude assumed toward Carranza IS not
explained unless it would consist in making a
better selection of an agent and in furnishing
more substantial and effectual support even to
the point of military assistance, if necessary, or
if the beneficiary so requests.
The third course open is military interven-
ton without invitation. That means invasion
and occupation.
As he suggests, the first and the last are in
dangerous proximity, as each day Of waiting in
vites some calamity which would make resort
to military force the only course possible.
So he advocates the second course: that OF
promoting the ascendancy and control OF de-
cent and patriotic liberal element or coalition
of such elements, in working out the salvation
heves not only practicable, but sure to be well
coined by not only the immediate benefciaries
OF such choice but by the people in the mass.
This writer thinks that we are mistaken if we
assume that intervention would solidify the
Mexican people in resistance. A Mexican
paper, published in the City of Mexico has as
serted that 80 per cent of the total population
would regard Intervention by the United States
with indifference and that 90 per cent of the
educated class would welcome it.
The writer referred to does not mention, and
perhaps for very good and not obscure reasons,
the individual or the group in whose favor sup
port should be extended. 1t ought to be prac-
ticable, however, to make such a choice, and,
if, after the movement had been we'll inaugur-
ated, our military assistance should be invited,
resentment of our interference would be con-
fined to very small MINORITY.
OF course, anything which even squints at
war in Mexico or anywhere else is likely to
meet with opposition in some quarters. 1t
would be, in sense, an aggressive war, and yet,
in larger sense, when rightly considered de-
tenslve war, for the murder-map, so to speak, of
Mexico, published by the Association for the
Protection OF American Rights in Mexico. is
pock-marked with records of $50 American lives
sacrificed to Mexican lawlessness during the
past 10 years. From the same source it appears
that 3l7 cases of major violence occurred dur
ng. the four months from April l to July 81,
1919
The effect of all this disorder taking place
right under our eyes, without occasioning more
than periodic grunts of disgust and irritation"
from the United States is, as Mr.. Plat says, in
evitable The Mexicans generally have lost
their fear and respect for foreigners and for for
eign governments, and conditions may be ex-
pected to grow worse instead of better as long
as that contempt for outsiders persists That
we are drifting inevitably toward armed inter-
vention is frequent assertion of those who
study the situation, and if we can avoid it by
promoting the establishment of stable, orderly
government, working through selected elements
in Mexico, even to the point of military assist
ance when it is requested, we may avoid very
unpleasant duty which must be. taken up some
day in the form of military invasion, unlimited,
but unavoidable