Monday, August 26, 2013

The Mexican Muddle.

New York Times 100 years ago today, August 26, 1913:
    If it is true, as indicated in some of the Washington dispatches, that the reason to be set forth by President Wilson, in his message which is to announce to Congress the failure of his mediation mission, for the continued withholding of recognition from Huerta's Government will be the obvious fact that it is "dictatorial" and in the hands of few men, it seems that the gravity of the situation will be greatly increased. The same argument might have been made against Madero's Government, which was hotly opposed in various States and in the Federal Congress of Mexico from first to last. The same argument, also, might have been urged against the long successful Government of Porfirio Diaz by Presidents Garfield, Arthur, Cleveland, Harrison, McKinley, Roosevelt, and Taft.
    Mexico, in the long run, will have the kind of Government that best suits it. If it amounts to a dictatorship, that is Mexico's affair. We cannot govern Mexico. The only essential fact to be ascertained concerning Huerta's Government is whether it is a Government that can govern. Mr. Lind by this time ought to be able to enlighten the President on this point. But we must infer that the Washington correspondents who are anticipating the message are only guessing and that President Wilson will have a stronger argument to advance in support of his policy of non-recognition than one which would apply equally well to other nations of the world whose Governments we cheerfully recognize.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.