THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1914. THE MEXICAN CRISIS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 26 February 1914, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1914. THE MEXICAN CRISIS.

There is every indication of' trouble arising over the mast recent developments m Mexico. The murder of a .British ranch-owner and a number of Americans by ule.blood-thirsty r< ; - bel leader cannot- be passed over lightly. The honour of the British nation, winch prides itself upon the protection of its subjects whereverthey may be domiciled, must bo vindicated. President' Wilson is in a tight place. In his message to Congress last month ho Kiiid:."\Ve shall not, 1 believe, be" obliged to alter our policy of watchful waiting, and then, when the end comes, we shall hope to see constitutional order restored in distressed Mexico by the concert and energy of such of lfor leaders as prefer the liberty of her people to their own ambition." But, as* a .writer in a northern contemporary risks, where nro these leaders? They are iws yet nowhere visible on the horizon. .Neither Carranza nor Villa, the rebels, or, as they call themselves, constitutionalist generals, are such. They are bloody-lianded as Huerta. .Huerta had Madero treacherously assassinated. Villa, kills enemies and friends with the same cool indifference. 'iTie other day he shot the friend who had -aeted a& best man at his wedding. Carranza talks fine platitudes about liberty," hut mo ragged aggregations of their soldiers - Villa's and his—plunder nnd hurn, sparing neither 'iigo. nor sex. !l

Huerta wore to bo removed to-mor-hi>w there seems no man of character to take his place. And even If one were to arise, it is extremely doubtful if-civilised political methods would be the pathway to any Remanent peace. The truth is the matses are not lit for self-government. The depressed poverty-stricken peons, who form the. great hulk of the population, are quite indifferent as to the issue. They know quite well that it makes little difference to them who gets tho upper hand, for they are all alike, bandits, beiit on enriching themselves. Mexico is simply being raided by a lot, of highwaymen masquerading under the guise of patriots. Tho combatants in the fight are animated by no high principle like that which ruled in the Civil War in America. They are all ready to light for whatever side pays them best. There are, of course, some of tho lighters animated by high patriotic- motives, hut iit the main it is simply a war of outlaws and robbsrs, each lighting for his own hand. That is what makes the President's problem so grave. Ho will have nothing to do with Huerta, but, suppose Huerta eliminated, tho difficulty remains. On the other-hand, if the American Government intervenes and knocks the heads of these banditti leaders, together, the chances are that such action might lead the present combatants to cease quarrelling with each other, and unite against a common foe. For the Mexican has no love for the Yankee; and would bo certain to resent his interference. Moreover, tho United States has not aijJarge enough army to cope with Mexico. If America resolved on intervention, it would take a very much larger army than she at present possesses to police a country boiling over in rebellion and seething with moral corruption.