The Dominion. MONDAY, JANUARY 22, 1917. A DEADLOCK IN MEXICO

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2983, 22 January 1917, Page 4

The Dominion. MONDAY, JANUARY 22, 1917. A DEADLOCK IN MEXICO

To realise tho grayity of tho announcement, cfibled a few days ago, that the Mexioan and American Commission has failed to reach an agreement, it is only necessary to recall the circumstances in which the Commission was sot up and the work it was appointed to do. It will bo remembored that in March last year a crisis in Mexica.n-American relations was precipitated by the act of the Mexican bandit and guerilla leador, Villa. With a band of followers he raided and sacked the United States bordor town of Columbus, killing many of the inhabitants, including women and ohildron. After a delay of ten days, due to the inability of the American military authorities to promptly meet a sudden call, a punitive expedition under General Pershing crossed the Mexican border in pursuit of Villa and his band. The guerillas wore- not captured, and nave not been to this hour, but the right of _ tho United States to send troops into Mexico was challenged by tye Mexican Government. It was not long boforo the disputo thus occasioned led to armed conflict, though not upon a big scale, between General Pershing's soldiers and those of the Oareanza Government. There were a number of encounters, but tho most important occurred at Oarrizal, where an American detachment was ambushed, and all but annihilated. War between the two Republics seemed practically inevitable, and tho American militia was mobilised on the border. The almost intolerable tension of the situation was eased, however, early in July, when Oakranza addressed a Noto to the American Government, in which he abandoned the bellicose tone ho had previously taken, and declared his readiness to negotiate upon all mattors in dispute. It was bolieved at first that mediation would.be accomplished by means of informal conferences between the acting-Mexi-can Ambassador at Washington and tho American Secretary of State, but subsequently the American Government indicated a preference for a conference by a commission composed equally "'of Americans and Mexicans. At Carranza's suggestion it was agreed that the Commission should consist of six members. The Mexican delegation was headed by Senor Luis Cabrera, Cabranza's Minister of Finance. His colleagues were Senor Alberto Pani, who was for a time General Director of Mexioan Railways, and Senor Ignacio Bonillas, Carranza's Secretary of Communications. Tho American delegates were the Hon. Franklin K. Lane, Secretary of the. Interior, Judge George Gray, a distinguished jurist, and Dr. John R. Mora, secretary of tho International Young Men's Christian Association, who is credited with administrative and diplomatic abilities of the highest order. At the hoad of the agenda submitted to the Commission was the question of devising conditions'which would permit the withdrawal of General Pershing's expedition from Mexico. This would have involved tho formation of a co-operative system of patrolling tho American-Mexican border. More than this, however, it was hopod that the Commissioners would be able to give their attention to matters fundamental in the reconstruction and regeneration of Mexico.

How completely all hopes based upon the appointment of tho Commission have been defeated appears in. the terms of the announcement that it has failed to reach an agreement. Tho cablegram- on tho subject ran: "Tho Mexican and American Commission has permanently adjourned, failing to recommend tho withdrawal of tho United States troopß from Mexico." At its. face value this moans that negotiations have broken down, leaving matters much as they were prior to Cariunza's Note of July 4, whon America and Mexico were to all appearance on the vorgo of war. Besides disappointing larger hopes, tho Commission has failed to find a solution of tho immediate problem, which is that of devising arrangements under which the two Governments would harmoniously unite and co-operate in hunting down Villa and other marauders, and establishing peace on the border. It iB barely possible that direct negotiation between tho Mexican and United States Governments may produce tho agreement the Commission has failed to roach, but prospects of a solution on these lines aro not particularly bright. As to obtaining redress from Mexico and guarantees for tho future, the United States Govornmont is pretty much where it was a year ago, and existing circumstances aro more likoly to produce further discord than to load to a peaceful settlement. In a Note addressed to CauKanza after tho Columbus outrage the American SeercUry of State (Mn. Lansing) wrote:— For three ycare tho Mexican 'Republio has been tern jyith civil strife s the lives

of Americans and other aliens liavo been sacrificed; bandits havo been permitted to roam at will through tho territory contiguous to tho United States, and to seize without punishment and without offeotivo attempt at .punishment tlio property of Americans; while tho lives of citizens of tho United States who ventured to remain in Mexican territory or to return tlioro to protect tboir interests havo beon takon, in 6omo cases barbarously taken, and tlio murderers havo neither beon apprehonded nor brought to justice.

The Columbus outrage, like other crimes of tho Mexican banditti, still awaits retribution, and the conditions of which Mr. Lansing speaks have existed for nearly four years, instead of three. With this addition and amendment his statement holds good at the present hour as an epitome of tho conditions reigning in Mexico, and the issues at.stake between that country and the United States. It must bo added that though General Pershing's expedition is still encamped on' Mexican soil it has not been able to achieve any positive result. Vl(i.la and his gang are still heard from at intervals, and seem likely to continue their bloodthirsty exploits indefinitely. In a recent speech, President Wilson declared that "a fierce passion for reconstruction" underlies tho Mexican revolution, and no doubt his own defence of his policy would be that tho United States Government, t,y holding its hand, is enabling Mexico to progress by its'own efforts towards stable and orderly govo/n----ment. Tho inept failure of the CarrANZA Government to deal with marauding bandits of tho Vh.la type is an outstanding, though not isolated fact which casts doubt upon the wisdom of such a policy. But Mr. Wilson's failure appears even more plainly in tho estimation in which he is held by the peoDlo to whom his policy applies. As to this we may quote comments upon President Wilson and his policy made by the principal Mexican leaders in interviews with Mr. Gregory Mason, a correspondent of the Now York Outlook: —

"Wilson has not kept faith with Mexico/'—First Chief Carranza. "Wilson makes too many declarations whioh have no facta hohind - thorn."— Alvaro Obregon, Meiican Secretary oF War. "Wilson's policy is not clear; it is not frank; it is not •.clean."—<3oncral Pablo Gonzales.

The Mexican leaders maintain that tho Pershing expedition is an indefensible invasion of Mexican sovereignty, and they assort, also, that while restrictions have been placed upon their own importations from the United States, the rebels—that ia to 6ay tho marauding bandits of whom Villa is tho most notorious representative—have been sitpplicd with American arms. It migut b? wholly unjust to accept these criticisms and charges aIT their face value. They aro quoted here mainly as indicating how far Me. Wilson is from having established the sympathetic relations with the men at tho head of affairs in Mexico which are essential if ho is to justify his policy, kis the essence of the matter that he is called upon to decide clearly and definitely between intervention or non-intorvontion in Moxico. There is something to be said for eithor policy. But to sond a weak expedition into Mexican territory, and then arguo to a deadlock with tho Mexican Government over the question of withdrawing it or leaving it there indefinitely, would be a pdicy of almost inconceivable futility even if it did not threaten an explosion. In point of fact it doss.