The Mexican Problem.

New York Times 100 years ago today, August 22, 1913:
    All good citizens must agree heartily with Senator Nelson of Minnesota that the President of the United States is doing all in his power to preserve peace between this country and Mexico. That there are differences of opinion as to the course he has taken is not, at present, very important. The matter is in President Wilson's hands. It is his duty to act according to his Judgment. President Huerta of Mexico, whose Government our own has thus far refused formally to recognize, has not received the mission from Washington in a conciliatory manner, but quite the reverse. When Gen. Huerta, in rejecting Mr. Lind's proposals, declares that President Wilson has not the support of Congress or the American public he argues without either official or trustworthy information and without discretion. He has to deal not with the prevailing opinion in Congress, if any one opinion in regard to the Mexican situation prevails in that body, or the many-headed American people, but with this nation's Chief Magistrate. Gen. Huerta can gain nothing from the United States by that method. There are many Americans who criticise, rightly or wrongly, the Washington policy in regard to Mexico, but there is no Huerta party here, nor is it conceivable that there exists a Carranza or a Zapata party. The condition in Mexico now is precisely the same as it was in the first Administration of Juarez and in all the preceding years after the expulsion of the Spanish rulers. Madero undertook to teach the people self-rule, but succeeded only in overthrowing a Government which had preserved peace for thirty years and reawakening the old revolutionary spirit, which has not since been quelled. The situation is only more serious now, to this country, because in the long period $1,000,000,000 of American money was invested in Mexican enterprises. Naturally we are anxious to have peace restored in Mexico, but peace can come only through the Mexicans themselves.
    Senator Penrose's ill-judged resolution yesterday must tend further to complicate the situation, which was already sufficiently complicated and distressing. He proposed to send troops to Mexico, in a "friendly way," and to appropriate $25,000,000 for the protection of the lives of Americans in Mexico. This means war, or it means nothing. A "constabulary force" of American infantry and cavalry would constitute merely an invading army. Senator Penrose spoke intelligently on the subject of Mexican relations last week, but now he seems to have lost his good sense. He involved himself in some statements touching the Monroe Doctrine unworthy of a statesman of his experience. The Monroe Doctrine could not be violated by any effort of a European country to protect the lives and property of its nationals in Mexico. But there is not the slightest danger at present of any action in regard to Mexico by a European country. Senator Nelson spoke sanely and quite to the point in reply to Mr. Penrose's queer and uncalled for resolution. He said:
    "We agitate intervention, and intervention means war. We should do everything we can to avoid war and give Mexico the same chance we asked for and were given in the civil war.
    The opposition to Gen. Huerta's Administration in Mexico is still bitter and widespread, but it seems to accomplish little. He is confident of his ability to restore law and order. It must, by this time, be obvious to everybody that if the Huerta Administration had been recognized by Washington a few months ago the Mexican problem would not now be so serious. But President Wilson is using his own judgment and that his course has been governed by a desire to help a neighbor in a time of trouble is not to be doubted.