Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-05-31
BY ALvAR0 oRREGoN
President Of Mexico
LEASED Wire Service to The Journal.)
Copyright, 1920


Copyright, 1920
MEXICO CITY, May 2S.-How
could the relations between Mexico
and the United States be improved?
This question can be easily answered,
but shall endeaver first to settle
this point: What is the present sat-
US of the relations between Mexico
and the United States?
The peaceful intercourse of nations,
as well as of individuals, is possible
with the sole condition that the
eighbors-indvidua or nations
adjust their conduct to the dictates
of morality and law. Similar senti-
mentS of this mutual understanding
are naturally necessary for the ma
terlal and spiritual Interchange of
the common life, which, fortunately,
takes place, more or less, throughout
the civilized world, and the develop
ment of such intercourse may even
come to transform the simple peace
full intercourse of nations into q
friendly cooperation, not only bene-
fetal to their own interests, but also
beneficial to the general interests Of
humanity ct large.
This would be the ideal state of the
world, under the rule-now unfor-
tunately impossible-of an imper-
turbable peace But wars, which are
plausible as crises of evolutionary de-
velopment, and deplora BILE for their
methods of brutal violence, as a re-
gression to inferior states of civ
iliZation, either when confined within
the frontiers of a single nation or
when they pass beyond it's borders
and involve several nations, are fac
tors that break the international
concert. They considerably disturb
the commercial and friendly rela-
tons among nations. This is the
present status of the world, in which
are included, reciprocally-With the
special circumstances inherent to
their ntiguity-MeXico and the
United States.
The relations between these two
countries are affected first. as re-
suit of the revolutionary commissions
which during ten years have dis
turbed Mexico, and second, as a result
of the neutrality, in which Mexico
had to maintain herself during the
great world war.
Mexican Resolutions
Let Us examine briefly these two
points. Civil war is the evolution
unavoidable manner in all the ma
tons of the world, whenever the
gradual development of the institu-
tions remains behind their time in
regard to the necessities or the as
pirations of a people. Naturally,
pens in all civil and international
wars, there were not applied in
Mexico the moral and legal precepts
corresponding to peaceful times and,
in this regard. the episodes of the
latter could have not been better OF
worse than those of the European
war.
The Mexican revolution gave rise,
therefore, to incidents which deplor-
ably affected the relations between
the two countries, and of such' not
only the United States can COM
plain, but also the republic of Mex
leo. 1t is true, in fact, it could not
be otherwise, that several American
citizens have died, and many have
suffered damages in their proper
ties as a logical consequence of the
state of war, and of inevitable or
government, such as the attachment
of the railroads and other private
property, the temporary discontinue
ance of payments of interests en- the
public external debt, etc.
1t is nevertheless also true that
in the United States the interests
injured by the Mexican revolution.
or those fearful of it, carried out
an intense campaign against it, and,
therefore, against the Mexican peo-
pie, grossly eXaggerating it's meth
DDS and it's acts and unjustly pic
turing Mexico, not as a country
which struggles, to the point of sac
rifice, in order to win it's liberties and
a place of honor in the civilized world,
but as a band of outlaws incapable
of regeneration. 1t is also true that
the Mexican people, mindful, as it is,
of it's sovereignty, suffered a VIOLA
| tion of sovereignty in the occupa-
ton by American forces of the port
| of Vera Cruz and the punitive" eX-
petition, which reached the heart of
Chihuahua.
AS regards the second point. not
| withstanding the pro-allied senti-
ments of the thinking classes of
| Mexico, the country had to remain
neutral during the great war, be-
| cause it was deeply engaged in its
| internal problems and also because in
| no case could it have taken part in
sufficiently decorous manner. The
| direct motives calling it to war were
not sufhclently important. nor was
| its contingent of forces so large as to
| influence, even in an appreciable
manner, the course Of the war.
From the time of the declaration
| Of war on Germany by the United
| States, the neutrality of Mexico con-
| stitUteG another source of friction
| between the two countries, besides
! the fact that taking advantage of
| these propitious conditions, the dam
aged foreign interests were able to
| intensity to the maximum possible
| degree their hostile campaign against
| Mexico.
Nothing Now Lacking
| Fortunately the Mexican reVolu-
| ton and the European war are things
of the past. Both the Mexican and
| American peoples daily manifest
in various forms-their intention tc