Evening star., 1924-03-16
The True Story of
Woodrow Wilson
By DAVID LAWRENCE.

"a CoSAt lHhPdI lidiiy a VIC" oA thS
situation that would appeal to Gen.
Carranza
Looked to German Aid.
Several days conference at Vera
Cruz developed some Interesting in
formation. the principal item of
which was that Gen. Carranza, with
the typical adroitness of his Spanish
mind. sensed the Importance of Ger
man aid, particularly as. it appeared
to him likely that Mexico could play
the United States against Germany
and the allies against Germany. and
thus obtain the support desired and
ultimately recognition.
The author discovered on that trip
to Vera Cruz in 1915 an intimacy
altogether too close between the Ger
man minister to Mexico, who had all
but recognized the existing govern
ment, and Gen. Carranza himself.
1t was symptom of what developed
in 1917 when the famous Zimmerman
note was intercepted and the plot of
the German foreign office to link
Mexico with Japan against the United
States was exposed
Returning to Washington in the
autumn of 1917 with a full report of
his investigation in Mexico, the
author recommended that the most
effective way to counteract German
influence and prevent Mexico being
used rs a base for hostilitieS. espe-
cially in the event the United States
entered the war, was to recognize the
Carranza administration and formal
ize the relations between the United
States and Mexico, insisting upon the
proper assurance for the protection
of life and of property of American
citizens. These assurances were
given in writing and recognition was
extended by the United States after
consultation with the diplomatic rep
resentatives of the Latin American
countries. The United States hoped
that the extension of recognition
would make Carranza more friendly
and would checkmate German inf1u-
ence. Unfortunately, the bandit dep
relations of Pancho Villa in the north
upset all plans and with the out
lawed bandit actually crossing the
American boundary line and raiding
Columbus, N. NJ, it seemed as If
the provocation for war which the
Germans had been hoping would de-
velop had come at last. The United
States during the first two years Of
her neutrality had become the ar
sena1 for the allies. supplying NUM-
tfons and guns. The German plan
was to divert the supply Of war ma
terial from Europe to an American
army engaged in a war below the
Rio Grande. Mr.. Wilson's decision to
send a punitive expedition after
Pancho Villa was criticized in Mex
leo as hostile. but public opinion in
the United States in 1916 would have
conuntenanced no other action, espe-
cially because Mr.. Wilson was al
ready being accused of vaciIlation
and weakness in his foreign policy
in dealing with Germany as a conse-
quence of the sinking of the Lusi-
tania and other American vessels by
German submarines.
Admired Pancho villa.
Mr.. Wilson occasionally exhibited
a sardonic humor. He issued the
order to Gen. Pershing to organize
an expedition and for several days
declined to interfere in the actual
that the men in the War Department
who had been clamoring for an op-
portunity to show their mettle would
now have plenty of chance to show
what they could do in getting an
expedition under way in quick time.
Mr.. Wilson gave the War Depart
ment free hand and watched with
an amusement understandable only
by those who heard his comment from
time to time the efforts Of thou
sands of American troops to catch a
single bandit. Somewhere in the
Wilsonian makeup there was a streak
of admiration for his opponents, and
he could not help expressing him.
self once about the daring Of Pancho
Villa. Something of the same humor
in Mr.. Wilson came, out as he OBJ
served Huerta wriggling cleverly in
his effort to outwit the American gov
ernment. The truth is, Mr.. Wilson
liked the fighting man.
AS things developed, it was for
tunate that the War Department was
given a chance to bestir itself in the
Mexican expedition, for there were
even greater demands not many months
entered the war. From this time on,
of course, the policy of the United
States toward Mexico was one of toll
erance. Although the neutrality of
the Carranza government was often
questioned by the authorities in
galore of wireless stations in Mexico
through which spies were believed to
be operating and plans were being
made to foment trouble with the
United States, there is little likelihood
that the United States would, have
been diverted very seriously from its
huge task overseas by anything that
happened below the Rio .Grande.
When the European war was over
the Mexican policy continued to be
between Washington and Mexico City
did not cease, the danger of hostili
ties between the two countries sud-
denly began to disappear. Whether
the existence of a large American
Army ready for any emergency made
the Rio Grande and developed a more
practical spirit, or whether public
opinion in the United States had had
its fill of bloodshed, or whether the re-
turning troops were INDIFFERENT about
further service, none of these views
can be deemed conclusive because of
the overshadowing Importance Of the
European peace negotiations in the
mind Of the American people and in
the attention of President Wilson
himself.
Copyright, 1924, by the George H. Doran
Company in the United States, Canada, South
America. World publication rights reserved
by Current News Features, Incorporated.)
(TOmorrOw's chapter tells Of the
two shocks that almost unnerved Mr.
WilsOn-the outbreak of the Euro
pean war and the death Of his wife.)
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