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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 6, 1914)
ROOSEVELT FLAYS POLICY IN MEXICO Nation Made Responsible for Some of Worst Acts Ever Committed in War. AMERICANS ARE VICTIMS Colonel Says "Futile, Inglorious War" Was "Peculiarly tTnwlse, Ignoble and Inefficient," but . "War, Nevertheless. (Continued From Flrat Ige.) war can only serve to amuse the type of intellect which would assert that Germany has not been at war with Belgium because Germany never de clared war on Belgium. , Mr. 'Wilson's war only- resulted in the sacrifice of a score of American lives and a hundred or two of the lives of Mexicans; it was also entirely pur poseless; has served no good object; has achieved nothing, and has been abandoned by Mr. Wilson without ob taining the object because of which it was nominally entered into; it can therefore rightly be stigmatized as a peculiarly unwise, ignoble and inef ficient war; but it is war nevertheless. United State "Guiltily Responsible." This has been bad enough. , But the general course of the administration toward Mexico has been worse and evermore productive of wide and far reaching harm. Here again, word- splitters may. if they desire, endeavor to show that the President did not in terfere" In Mexico; but if so they ha ntilie-nd to make a fine dis crimination between Interference and officious and mischievous mter-mea-tlling. Whether Is Is said that Mr. vi-iinon interfertfl in Mexico or merely that he meddled In Mexican affairs so as to produce much evil and no good and to make us responsioie ior uw op tions of a peculiarly lawless, ignorant and blood-thirsty faction, is of small importance. The distinction is one merely of words. The simple fact Is that thanks to Mr. Wilson's action and at times his Inaction has been the most effective and vicious form of action this coun try has become partially (and guiltily) responsible for Borne of the worst acts ever committed even in the civil wars of Mexico. Maximum of Evil Accomplished. When Mr. Wilson became President of the United States, Huerta was Fresl lent of Mexico. On any theory of non Interference with the affairs of our neighbors, or any theory of avoiaing war and of refusing to take sides with or become responsible for the deeds of blood-stained- contending factions, it was the clear duty of Mr. Wilson to accept Mr. Huerta as being President of Mexico. Unless Mr. Wilson was pre pared actively to interfere in Mexico and to establish some sort or protecio ratn over it. he had no more business to pass Julgment upon the methods of Mr. Huerta's selection (which had oc curred prior to Mr. Wilson's advent to power) than Mexico would have had to refuse to recognize jvir. Mayes as -resv dent on the ground that it was not sat isfted with his economic policy and moreover sympathized with Mr. Tilden's side of the controversy. But Mr. Wilson made up his mind to interfere in Mexico for, of course, the most trenchant type of interference was refusal to recognize the Mexican Presi dent and yet should have notined for eign powers of his proposed action in order to prevent so far as possible his recognition by them. He interfered in such feeble fashion as to accomplish the maximum of evil to us and to other foreigners and the Mexicans, and the minimum of good to anybody. He nit; but he hit softly. Now, no one should ever hit if it can be avoided; but never should anyone "hit soft." Americans Murdered and Robbed. When Mr. Wilson refused to recog nize Huerta. he committed a definite act of interference of the most pro nounced type. At the same time he and Mr. Bryan looked on with folded arms and without a protest of any kind while American citizens were murdered or robbed or shamefully maltreated in all parts of Mexico by the different sets of banditti wljo masqueraded as soldiers of the different factions. He maintained for a- long time a friendly intercourse with one set of political adventurers through Irregularly appointed diplo matte agents, and he adopted an openly offensive attitude toward the chief of another set, although he was 'then the de facto head of whatever government Mexico had. By his action in permit ting the transmission of arms over the border. Mr. Wilson not only actively aided the Insurrection, but undoubtedly furnished it with the means essential to Its triumph, while at the same time his active interference prevented Huer ta from organizing an effective resist ance. His defenders allege that he could not properly have forbidden the transmission of arms to the revolution arles across the border. The answer Is that he did forbid it at intervals. He thereby showed that he was taking an active Interest In the arming of the revolutionaries, that he permitted it when he chose to do so and stopped it intermittently whenever he thought it Dest to stop it, and was therefore en tirely responsible for it. L.ora.1 Issues Not Our Affair. The nominal rights which the con tending factions championed, and the actual and hideous wrongs done by all of them, were in no sense our affair save insofar as Americans and other foreigners were maltreated. We may individsXUly sympathize, as. for in stance, I personally do, with the gen eral purpose of the programme for di vision of the lands among the Mexican cultivators . announced by Carranza. Villa and other revolutionary leaders; but this no more iusties interference on our part than belief In the wisdom f the single tax for the United States by some foreign ruler would warran his Interference in the Internal affairs of the United States. Moreover nothing in the career of Carranza and Villa or In the conduct of the Mexican people at present Justifies us In any certainty that tins programme will in any rea eense be put into effect. However, the interference took place. By the course President Wilson pursued toward Huerta and by the course he pursued toward Villa and Carranzn, he actively interfered in the Internationa affairs of Mexico. He actively sided with the factions which ultimately trl umphed and which Immediately soli Into other factions which are now no less actively engaged In fighting one another. Personally, I do not think that the Administration should hav interfered in this manner. But on thing is certain. When the Adminla LATE PHOTOGRAPH OF EX-PRESIDENT WHO ARRAIGNS WILSON ADMINISTRATION FOR MEXICAN POLICY. P J - 'J fA"( THEODORE tration did Interfere, it was bound to accept the responsibility for its acts. It could not give any aid to the revolu tionaries without accepting a corres ponding share of responsibility for their deeds and misdeeds. It could not aid them because of their attitude on the land question without also assum ing a corresponding share of responsi bility for their attitude toward -religion and toward the professors of religion. Country Is Made Responsible. The United States would have had no responsibility whatever for what was done to the church by any faction which did not owe its triumph to ac tion by the United States. But when the United States takes part in civil war in Mexico, as Messrs. Wilson and J Bryan forced our Government to take part, this country has therefore made itself responsible for the frightful wrong-doing, for tne terriDie out rages committed by the victorious rev olutionists on hundreds of the religious people of both sexes. To avoid the chance of anything but willful misrepresentations, let me em phasize my position. I hold that it was not our affair to interfere one way or the other in the purely internal affairs of Mexico, so far as they affected only Mexican citizens; because if the time came when such Interference was ab solutely required it could only be Justi fied if it was thorough-going and effec tive. Moreover, 1 hold that it was our clear duty to have interfered promptly and effectively on behalf of American citizens who were wronged, instead of behaving as Messrs. Wilson and Bryan actually did behave, as far as regards to our disgrace as a Nation, they forced American citizens to claim and accept from British and German officials and officers the protection which our own Government failed to give. But when we did Interfere in Mexican Internal affairs to aid one faction, we thereby made ourselves responsible for the deeds of that faction and we have no right to try to shirk that responsibil ity. Messrs. ilson and Bryan have declined to interfere to protect the rights of Americans or of other foreign ers in Mexico. But they have inter fered as between the Mexicans them selves in the Interest of one faction and with the result of placing that faction in power. They have therefore bound themselves to accept responsibil ity for the deeds and misdeeds of that faction. Wilson at Mobile Quoted. Not long ago President Wilson, in a speech at Swarthmore, Pa., declared that "nowhere in this hemisphere can any government endure which is stained COUNTY I-ION l".F.It II UR- WKtk 1111ER 41TSPirR Addle Ij. Morris. EUGENE, Or.. Dec 3.- . (Spe- Addle L. J cial.) The funeral of Addle Morris, the Oregon pioneer, born in Harrisburg, Linn County, 68 years ago, was held Thursday under the auspices of the Eu gene order of I. O. O. F. He was a member of this lodge for 35 years, and stood high in its ranks. OF" I. O. O. K. I i THE STTJJDAT OREGONIAX, PORTLAND, DECEMBER G, 1914. Photo by Underwood & Underwood. ROOSEVELT, by blood," and at Mobile that "we will never condone iniquity because it is most convenient to do so." At the very time he uttered those lofty words, the leaders and lieutenants of the faction which he was actively supporting were shooting their prisoners In cold blood by scores after each engagement were torturing men reputed to be rich, were driving hundreds of peaceful people from their homes, were looting and de filing churches and treating ecclesias tics and religious women with every species of abominable infamy, from murder and rape down. In other words, at the very time that the Presi dent was stating that "nowhere on this hemisphere can any government en dure which is stained by blood,' he was actively engaged in helping Install in power a government which was not only stained by blood but stained by much worse than blood. At the very time that ha was annpuncing that he would "never condone iniquity because it was convenient to do so," he was not merely condoning, but openly as sisting iniquity and installing into power a set of men whose actions were those of ferocious barbarians. Two Women From Iowa Assaulted. Remember that I am not engaged in defending the factional opponents of these victorious wrongdoers. There Is not evidence sufficient to decide which of the many factions behaved worst. But there is ample material to decide that they all behaved atrociously. Ap parently the Administration took the ground that Inasmuch as Mr. Huerta and his followers were bad men, it was our duty to condone the evil committed by their opponents. Father R. H. Tierney, of New Tork City, an entirely responsible man, informs me that when (in company with .two other gentlemen whose names he gives me) he called upon Mr. Bryan to bring to his atten tion the abominable outrages committed on certain nuns by the followers of Carranza and Villa, Mr. Bryan informed Father Tierney that he had information that "the followers of Huerta had committed similar outrages on two American women from Iowa!" This sentence has been read to Father - Tierney, who states that it describes the interview with exactness The original of the affidavits herein quoted are in the possession of Fathar Tierney. 69 East Eighty-third street. New Tork City, and Father Kelly, and will be shown by them to any reputable person. Apparently Mr. Bryan be lleVed this disposed of the situation and relieved the revolutionaries of blame. Bryan Exacts Retribution. Surely, it ought not to be necessary to say that if the facts as thus stated to Mr. Bryan were true, (and if there was any doubt Immediate investigation as to their truth by the Government was demanded), then the way to get justice was not by treating one infamy as wiping out tne other but by exact ing the sternest retribution for both and effectively providing against the repetition of either. Even assuming for the moment that the attitude of the Administration had not so committed the Government that it was its duty to interfere on behalf of the nuns thus outraged. Mr. Bryan's statement to Father Tierney shows almost Incredible callousness on his part to the most dreadful type of suffering, to acts far worse than the mere murder of any man. It seems literally impossible that any representative of the American Government in high office could fail to be stirred to his depths by such wrong, or could have failed to insist on the immediate and condign punish ment of the wrongdoers and on the amplest safeguarding against all pos sible repetition of the wrong. Appar ently the only way In which it OC' curred to Mr. Bryan to take any ac tion against the faction whose adher ents had perpetrated these hideous wrongs on the two American women was by encouraging another faction which he must have known In advance and certainly did know after the event would commit and had committed wrongs equally hideous. Anti-Catholic Decree Cited. I have before me a copy of El Her- aldo de Toluca of September 13 last. It contains a manifesto on behalf of the victorious revolutionists of he party of Messrs. Carranza and Villa, dealing with the "conditions under which the Romas worship will have to be practiced. (I translate into Eng lish.) Among the preambles is the following: 1. that the ministers of the Catholic worship circulate doctrines Genuine Sacrifice Sale of the world-renowned Hart Schaffner & Marx All-Wool Suits and Overcoats The few days of this sale ha3 already demonstrated to us the great interest and faith the men of Portland have in this store, and they know when they respond to our sale that they will get a square deal. Take Advantage of These Genuine Price Concessions J3e on Hand Monday $15.00 $20.00 $25.00 $30.00 $35.00 Suits and Suits and Suits and Suits and Suits and Vi OFF Mackinaws, House Coats, Smoking Jackets, Bath Robes V4 OFF Great Eeductions in Winter-Weight Underwear - $2.00 E. & W. Shirts -S1.35 $1-50 Cape Gloves .$1.15 S am which are not in accordance with the principles of the true Christ; 2, that on account of the learning that these ministers have acquired they cannot in the minds of those who possess equal or greater learning (but who differ from them in opinion) pass as sincere believers in the doctrines they preach and that they thereby exploit the ig norance of the ignorant masses; 3, that inasmuch as this conduct harms peo ple by frightening them with the fear of eternal punishment and thereby tends to make them subservient to the priesthood, and that inasmuch as all kinds of people, from workmen to cap italists, give too much money to the churchest and because of various oth er similar facts, the decree in question is promulgated. This decree includes the forbidding "of any sermons which will encourage fanaticism," the proscribing of any fasts or similar practices; the prohi bition of any money being paid for christenings, marriages or other mat ters; the prohibition of the soliciting of contributions (that is, the passing of the plate); the prohibition of cele bration of masses for the dead or the celebration of more than two masses a week; the prohibition of confession and with this object in view the clos ing of the churches excepting once a week at the hour of the masses; and, finally, the prohibition of more than one priest living in Toluca and the requirement that he, when he walks in the streets, shall be dressed abso lutely as a civilian without anything in his costume revealing the fact that he is a minister. In order to be per mitted to exercise the functions thus limited, the priest is required to affix his signature of acceptance to the fore going regulations. Oppression of Church Ordered. Now, in various South American countries there nave been bitter con tests between the Clericals and the antl-Clerlcals, and again and again the extremists of each side have taken po sitions which in the eyes of sensible Americans of all religious creeds are intolerable. There are in our own country individuals who sincerely be lieve that the Masons or' the Knights of Columbus, or the members of the Junior Order of American Mechanics, or the Catholic Church or the Metho dist Church or the Ethical Culture So ciety represent what is all wrong. There are sincere men in the United States who by argument desire to convince their fellows belonging to any one of the bodies above mentioned iand to any one of many others) that they are mistaken, either when they go to church or when they do not go to church, when they "preach sermons of a fanatical type" or inveigh against "sermons of a fanatical type," when they put money in the plate to help support a church or when they refuse to support a churph, when they Join secret societies or sit on the mourn ers' bench or practice confession. Ac cording to our ideas all men have an absolute right to favor or oppose any of these practices. But, according to our Ideas, no men have any right to en deavor to make the government either favor or oppose them. According to our ideas, we should emphaticaly dis approve of any action in any Spanish American country which is designed to oppress either Catholics or Protestants, either Masons or anti-Masons, either Liberals or Clericals, or to Interfere with religious liberty, whether by in tolerance exercised for or against any religious creed, or by people who do or do not believe in any religious creed. I hold that these should be our sym pathies. But I emphaticaly hold that it is not the duty of this Government to try to make other countries act in accordance with these sympathies, and, above all, not the duty of the Govern ment to help some other government which acts against these great princl pies with which we sympathize. Messrs. Wilson and Bryan by their actions have assumed a certain undoubted responsi bility for the behavior of the victorious faction in Mexico which has Just taken the kind ot stand Indicated in the proc lamation above quoted; a stand, of course, hostile to every principle of real religious liberty, a stand which if applied logically would mean that no minister of any church could in public wear a high-cut waistcoat or perhaps even a black frock-coat .and which would put a stop even to such commonplace actions as the passing of the plate In any church to encourage nome missions. AppnIllnBT Ontnm Related. But this attitude is only one of the offenses committed. Catholic schools almost everywhere in Mexico have been closed, institutions of learning sacked and libraries and astronomical and oth er machinery destroyed, the priests and nuns expelled by hundreds and some of the priests killed and some of the '1 R The Baby Upright The Joy of the. Fastidious Musician. These dainty, exquisite, sweet-toned pianos are included in the price sac rifice. At Ellers. of course. Read page 13, section 1, this paper. Adv. Overcoats Overcoats Overcoats Overcoats Overcoats osenblatt & The Men's Shop for Quality and Service Northwest Corner Third and Morrison nuns outraged. Archbishop Blenk, of New Orleans; Father Tierney, editor of America; Father Kelley, president of the Catholic Church Extension Society; Mr. Petry, one of the directors of the Catholic Church Extension Society, and a Mexican bishop whose name I do not give because it might involve him in trouble, came to see me at my house; and in Chicago I saw other priests and refugees from Mexico, both priests, nuns and lay brothers. The statements and affidavits, submitted to me in the original and copies of which I have before me as I write, set forth condi tions which are literally appalling and for which, ba it remembered, the ac tions of Messrs. Vtlson and Bryan have made this country partly responsible. For example. Archbishop Blfok sub mitted to me an affidavit by the prioress of the Barefooted "Carmelite Nuns of the Convent of Queretaro. This sets forth from the personal knowledge of the prioress how the churches have been profaned by soldiers entering them on horseback, breaking statues, trampling on relics and scattering on the floor the sacred hosts and even throwing them into the horses' feed; how in some churches the revolution ists have offered mock masses and have in other ways, some of them too repulsive and loathsome to mention, be haved precisely as the Red Terrorists of the French Revolution behaved in the churches of Paris. How, for ex ample, St. Anthony's Church at Aguas calientes has been made into a legisla tive hall, and the Church of St. Joseph at Queretaro and the great convent of the Carmelites and the lyceum of the Christian Brothers all have been con fiscated; how the church property has been sequestered and the archives burned, and the men and women In the cloistered communities expelled with out being allowed to take even an ex tra suit of clothes or a book of prayer. Many Knns Among Victims. The prioress states that she has her self seen in Mexico City nuns who have been "victims of the passions of the revolutionary soldiers," and some whom she found in their own homes, others in hospitals and in maternity houses, who in consequence are about to be delivered of children. She de poses: "I have seen soldiers dressed up in chausables, stoles, maniples and cinctures, with copes and altar linen, and their women dressed up in albs. surplices, and corporals used as hand kerchiefs." She has seen the sacred vessels profaned in a thousand ways. She describes meeting seven nuns who had been outraged, who she directed to a maternity house, and who had aban doned themselves to utter despair, say ing "mat they were already damned and abandoned by God and they cursed the hour of their religious profession." atie describes how she escaped from Quaretaro with nuns who had been obliged to hide in private houses in or der to escape being taken to the bar racks by tbe soldiers. She describes how she had daily to beg the food necessary to sustain the 24 sisters with whom she escaped." In Chicago I saw a French priest. Father Dominic Fournier, of the Con gregation of the Passion, who had just escaped, from Mexico with two young Spanish students for the priesthood. He had escaped from the city of Toluca with nothing whatever, not even a Keep night. Last longer. Give more heat. Will not burn out grates. Are clean and odorless. 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