Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-04-18
MEXICO AND MR.. FALL

~
"A secretary of the interior in President
Harding cabinet. Mr.. Fall has been
frank advocate Of what. for the sake Of
dcccncy. has been called a "frm" policy
toward Mexico. That characterization is
not a new thing in diplomacy. The temper
and purpose which it suggests are not new.
The Germans were firm in 1871. They
were "frm" again in 1914. The British
have been firm in India. All pre-
diplomacy was firm" and certainly the
world has reason TO feel that It left some
thing TO be desired, Used by statesmen of
a familiar type this simple and ngrceaby
sounding word means meddlng and iostling
and a provocative manner of strong nations
toward weaker ones and. in the end, war.
Mr. Fall. in the astonishing outburst
which sounded like n declaration Of war be-
tween tho Department of the Interior and the
Department Of State, because of the desire
of the President to deal patiently and fairly
with Mexico. is thinking of oil. Oil is
something about which any government may
be reasonably concerned. There are. how
ever. many more important things For
the moment. however. it may be worth while
to view the question of Mexico in the light
Of pure materialism. Doing that, it is neccs-
sary merely 10 inquire whether we are likely
TO gain most in Mexican oil fields by war or
peace
If the confagration of Europe and all the
perils and complexities that have followed
it prove anything. they prove. that any
thing taken from one nation by another
under pressure of war will inevitably prove
TO be n liability rather than an asset. Mr..
Fall not without courage, implies that
American interests can be protected against
foreign intrigue in Mexico only by force
used aganst-NvhomI Not against the for
cign investors. not against the corrupt Off
Cials ar Mexico City. but against the Mexi.
cans. who have nothing at all 10 do with
the controversy. 1t is plain that Mr.. Hard
ing and Mr.. Hughes are no more ready than
Mr.. Wilson was to adopt that method or
even to believe that it could have desirable
practical result. II we are to assume that
Mr.. Fall has fairly presented the ease in his
letter to Mr.. Lodge, then it appears that We
can obtain Just treatment for American in
vestors in Mexico and equal rights with for
cigncrs in the Mexican oil fields only by
cocrcing the Obrcgon Government or 'po-
licng - that is. invading - the country
But there is oil almost everywhere in Central
and South America. There is no certain
proof that we will not fare we'll in Mexico
after Il period of discussion and the fair
and peacCablc adjustment Of opposing inter
VI
limited area We should therefore lose in all
the length and breadth of Latin America the
confidence Of peoples and governments which
is far more dependable factor even in in
dustrial development than any that can be
created by war
Washington seems TO believe that national
aggression. no matter what temporary vic
tories it may achieve. is q losing game in
tho end Mr. Hughes is neither an expan-
sionist nor lingo at heart. He knows that
Obregon trying to establish order and
decent government in Mexico. and harassed
by corruptionsts and traitors would be
further embarrassed and weakened by
threats from the government of the United
States. policy of force in Washington
would he a policy that would give i'm
measurable and immediate aid to the revo.
lutonistS and the bandits.
Men whose minds run along with Mr..
Fall 5 are fond Utsaying that American lives
are being sacrificed in Mexico and that
American property is not safe there. Let
US assume that this is true. and let us
forget for the time being that men who enter
the wilderness always have been accustomed
to take some chances. Let us ask whether
II war or an invasion ever was bloodless
whether the lives sacrificed in policing
an unruly country would be American or
whether we should regard the men of the
army as foreigners! What of the cost of
such an adventure: Would Americans pay
1t or would it come out OF the air?
Secretary Falls outburst was not un
expected. Reading it, all sensible and really
patriotic Americans will be glad that n
strong and great spirited man. able to think
for all the country rather than for a small
and exclusive part of it, is running and will
continue to run the Department of State.