New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-01-18

w - :, . the ,,. ".,''' witt, with
has been asked innumera-
hle times during the last nine years. T.
Books have been written about it.
Thousands of newspaper articles
have touched on it, lectures have
been delivered around it, people
have gone insane or given their lives
trying to answer it, and still 1t
thrives-
A study Of turbulent Mexican his.
tory covering the last eighty or
ninety years will tell you that the
individual who attempts to answer
the question without reservation,
qualification and considerable mental
liberation is in the same class with !,
the unfortunate one who places his
hat sideways on his head, slips his
hand into the breast of his coat and
insists that he is Napoleon.
But ask almost any American in
Mexico to-day "What's the matter
with Mexico?" and he will forget
Nexican history, except the last few
years Of 1t, and answer that the
trouble in Mexico is the attitude of |
our own Wilsonian government, be-
ginning with its ''horseplay" with
Huerta and continuing through its
most unfortunate recognition Of Car
rama. He will add:
"Our government has steadfastfy
declined to adopt any fixed policy
toward Mexico; has warned off all
other interested governments with
demands for their respect Of the
Monroe Doctrine; has coddled the
Carranza government, then threat
ened it for failure to respect inter-
national Obligations and the rights
Of American citizens and property;
has written literally hundreds Of
notes whose words thus far have
proved meaningless; has branded
Americans in Mexico as adventures
thsre for the purpose of exploiting
the natives; has framed lin 1915)
foreign claim regulations so compli-
tated and full of red tape that an
American can hardly hope to collect
any damages against the Mexican
government; has allowed defama-
nations to our flag and open insults
70 our government representatives
b 90 unpublished and likewise to re-
ain unknown in the United States"
The Cry of 'sWolf!''
These Americans in Mexico
there are still thousands Of them
With millions Of dollars invested-
will also tell you that the American
government has cried "Wolf!" so
many times that they now would
be unable to recognize the real
Undetermined, forceful action in
redress for Carranza's irresponsible
sets-should it ever arrive. They
have lost faith. They fed with many
Asrdships, insults and monetary loss
when our navy took Vera Cruz. They
have fed to the ports on other oc-
easions and have prepared to get
sut at other times. But in the lat
ct crisis, precipitated by the Jen-
kins affair, none needed the "wolf
cry" They sat tight and nothing
happened, except to intensity a sit
uation which is more intolerable to-
day than ever before.
Whom you ask an American in
M1ico-and by this I mean the ma
jority Of Americans living in the IN
tsrior Of Mexico and not along the
bcrdsr-what Is the trouble in Mex
leo hs will give you the above an
swer And he will ask you how
Americans or their property-half
Of the millions Of foreign capital In
vested in Mexico-can hope for r.
epect and decent treatment when
" Ae1can government itself open.
y shows, by acts and words, It's mos
ussr contempt for Uncle Sam.
left Mexico less than q weak ago
aiser spending forty days in the in
Mf1or, travelling over Thousands Of
Aiemsters Of foreign-owned, down
"the-heel, Carranza government
controlled railroads and CONSTANT.
saiksn9 "the matter with Mexico
svss With Americans, British
:. .aaehnen, Germans, 6paniards ant
Asnesn Themselves Mgi, and low.
wsnt 70 Msx1co with an open
lnd Five years in Europe, wher'
u