Evening star., 1932-03-27
German War Plot to Embroil
L. S. With Mexico Recalled

many, Mexico and Japan, in direct
defiance of the Monroe Doctrine.
That Mexico was ripe field for such
an alliance resulted from the fact that
our relations with Mexico had been very
critical for number of years and that
there had been armed intervention in
Mexico by the United States In April.
1914, President Wilson ordered the
United States Navy to attack and cap
ture Vera Cruz, of which the United
States remained in possession for some
months.
Pershing Led Advance.
In 1915 President Wilson ordered a
military expedition under Gen. Pershing
to advance into the interior of Mexico,
where it remained about eight months.
At this time President Wilson dis
patched to the Mexican border most
of the Regular Army and large body
Of the Militia. Gen. Pershing was the
commander of the American forces on
the Mexican border in 1917 at the time
the Zimmerman cablegram was dis
patched.
Carranza vigorously opposed the steps
taken by the United States and assumed
a threatening attitude. The demand in
the United States for war against Mex
leo became violent and insistent. Al
though the United States did not Off
cially declare war against Mexico, the
disorders in Mexico continued for some
time and even after the United States
had entered the World War. Hence
Mexico might logically have seized upon
the opportunity of the proposed German
alliance and availed herself of German
aid to regain territory which she had
lost previously to the United States.
AS far as Japan was concerned, there
are only indirect, casual indications
that the Germans made any definite
steps to bring her into the proposed al
lance. When the Zimmerman cable
gram was officially published by the
United States Government, the Japa-
nese government Immediately repudi-
ated the German plan, not only denying
emphatically any knowledge OF 1t but
expressing great surprise at nearing OF
the German proposal.
Although all available evidence 1ndl-
Gates that Japan was not in the slight
est degree involved in the German plan,
1t is well to realize that our relations
with Japan had been very strained for
several years previous TO this episode,
largely on account Of exclusion OF
japanese immigrants and State laws
which Japan considered discriminatory
against her citizens in the United
States.
1918 Protest Recalled.
In 1913 Japan officially protested
against the alien land law Of California
of the same year restricting japanese
rights to own land in California.
Within a few days after the thinner
mann cablegram had been dispatched
the United States Government passed
the immigration act of February 5, 1917,
which definitely, although indirectly,
provided for permanent exclusion of
Japanese immigrants from the United
States. 1t is to be remembered that
the debate on this measure started some
time before the Zimmerman note was
sent.
In 1912 the Government of the United
States took official cognizance OF plan
whereby certain Japanese were con-
templating the purchase Of 100000
acre tract of land at Magdalena Bay IN
Lower California, Mexico. While this
proposition seemed to be private en-
deavor, considerable anxiety was dis
played in official American quarters that
Japan was trying indirectly to get a
foothold in Mexico.
AS a direct result of the Magdalena
Bay proposition the United States Sen
ate in 1912 passed resolution, present.
ed by Senator Lodge of Massachusetts,,
which declared that
When any harbor or other place in
the American continents is so situated
that the occupation thereof for naval
or military purposes might threaten the
communication or the safety Of the
United States, the Government Of the
United States could not see, without
grave concern, the possession of such
harbor or other place by any corpora
ton or association which has such re-
lations to another government not
American as to give that government
practical power of control for naval or
military purposes"
Caused Grave Concern.
While it is true that the German
plan was not successful it might very
easily have been so. There is no doubt
that this plan caused the President
of the United States and the officials
of our Government grave concern, in
view of the very strained relations that
already existed between the United
States on the one hand and Mexico
and Japan on the other.
The fact cannot be overlooked that
Germany and her allies missed winning
the World War only by very narrow
margin. Leading American and allied
military authorities have admitted this
on q number of occasions. There are
many reasons for believing that Zim-
mermann was not exaggerating the