Evening star., 1938-05-15
Boarding the Lion.

OSo1 uAiAS tuC AIoAs
Little Mexico, irked by the tone of
Great Britain's dun for payment of a
little bill of less than 100000, joins in
the sport of twisting the lions tail by
abruptly breaking off diplomatic rela-
tions. 1t is a game that may soon
become a fad.
The contemptuous manner in which
the Mexican government boards the
once-proud British lion must be bitter
medicine for those "realists" in Whitehall
and Downing Street who believe that
yielding to threats of force is a sure
prescription for peace There was a
time when few large nations, let alone
the small, would have had the courage,
unless they were looking for trouble, to
take the step Mexico has just taken. But
British prestige has sunk so low, has
come to mean so little, not only to the
defiant dictators but to the rest of the
world as well, that nation of 100000
people dares to challenge an empire of
hundreds of millions
Mexicos motive is clear. Without
means to pay Immediately claims for
damages inflicted upon British citizens
during the years of civil war before 1920,
to say nothing of the tens of millions
due on the appropriated oil properties
Mexico has taken the easiest and least
honorable way out. Without diplomatic
relations the means for negotiating set
tlement disappear. and President Car
denas gains few months or years to
recoup the nations finances before
having to begin payment
What this all means for the United
States and its good neighbor" policy
Is no less lucid. This country may
eventually receive payment for the
appropriated oil properties it's nationals
lost, but it is going to be exploited as
protector of Mexico's drive to Mexican
ize all her industry and resources. Presi-
dent Roosevelt feels that the Cardenas
regime must be defended, for what is
the alternative? Possible overthrow of
the Cardenas regime and bitter civil war,
thus giving us our own little Spain right
next door.
An theological conflict in Mexico must
not be dismissed as just another one of
her usual internecine wars, for now tre-
mendous forces are gathering south of
the Rio Grande which may turn Mexico
into as frightful a shambles as the
1oerian Peninsula. Mexico has militant
proletariat which is now being drilled
and armed specifically for the outbreak
OF Fascist uprising. The crude labor
militia of Vicente Lombardo Tolendano
far outnumbers the Mexican army which
could be expected to desert the govern
ment for any fascist leader who promised
victory.
There is something more than a
suspicion that President Cardenas is
counting heavily, and maybe too much,
on the Monroe Doctrine and American
defense If the lion decides to turn his
roar into bite. 1t would be unfortunate,
indeed, If the American Government
were. goaded to the point OF resurrecting
the long-dead Theodore Roosevelt corol-
lary to the Monroe Doctrine, which
served notice on the nations of the
Caribbean that they must conduct them
selves SO as not to invite European inter-
Vention' and the Roosevelt big stick"
mas been waved Justify at times to keep
1ractious Latin American governments
in line.
The "big stick" created resentment
out It's use may become necessary if
Cardenas is unable to pull his govern
ment out of the morass of financial and
economic troubles. But breaking off
relations with Great Britain is no way
to do it.