The Dominion. MONDAY, FEBEUARY 12, 1917. A NEW PAWN
_ 4 Cablegijams iii hand at time of writing contain a great deal of talk about what America will and will not do in view of Germany's defiance of international law, but most of it must bo sot down as speculation. The best indication of the turn matters are likely to take is to bo found not in talk or speculation, but in events which permit of only one interpretation. The recent activities of the enemy submarines, which aro now quite frankly and openly engaged in a campaign of wholesale- murder and piracy, leav'o it in no doubt that Germany has determined, in the interests of that campaign, to defy America, well knowing that tho defiance will mean war. The extensive damago done by their crows to German merchant' ships interned in American ports is further definite, but hardly needed evidence to '«ho same effect. This being the position reached it is quito likely that the accusations of German conspiracy in Mexico made by tho Providence Journal are well founded. The only doubtful point about the story is that it implies a most amazing laxity of control on tho part of tho United States Government in permitting the transportation of German officers and war material to Mexico, and taking account of the evidence of American official laxity discovered in the case of the damage done to tho interned ehips and in other matters, doubt on this point is perhaps hardly warranted. This apart the charges of the Providence Journal dovetail perfectly into the supposition that Germany no longer has any thought of avoiding war with America, but aims only at creating delays and strewing embarrassments in that country s path. Mexico certainly affords as promising a field for conspiracy and intrigue as, Germany could desire. Bandit raiders aro at largo, particularly in tho region of the American border, who set at open defiance the Gaeranza Government, which exorcises a somewhat uncertain authority at Mexico City; and tho relations of that Government with the United States are already in a highly-strained and critical condition. When General Pbkshinq led bis troops out of Mexico tho other day the raid which Villa made last year upon the American town of Columbus was> still unpunished. During the time the expedition spent iu Mexico tho American Government not only failed to obtain satisfaction for this outrage, but came into serious conflict with the Oaeranza Government, and completely failed to reach an understanding in regard to preventing, or dealing with, future raids. With tho Carbanza Government exercising a far from complete control and intensely jealous of any invasion of Mexican sovereignty, and with bandits like Villa watching for opportunities, German intrigue in Mexico may quite conceivably create a state of affairs in that country which would make a further call upon America's very imperfectly developed military resources and subject her to temporary embarrassment in the event of war with Germany. The United States, as we have before pointed out, is quito unprepared for war, and in consequence is not likely to do anything to hasten tho final break with Germany. This, of course, suits Germany well enough, but the delay does not necessarily mean that President Wilson is weakening in his professed intention to fight should Germany, persist in tho cqurse she has decided on. His past actions may not inspire .confidence, but he has gone 4qo far to retreat without bringing the United States as well as himself inte contempt, and making its name and its people a byword amongst tho nations of tho world. Tho German conspiracy to embroil Mexico' with tho United States is not an unforeseen contingency, and it should serve to strengthen public sentiment in America against Germany, and harden the determination of tho Araerioan people to fight for the privileges and liberties of 'which the Kaiser has so insolently and so infamously sought to deprive them.
Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DOM19170212.2.7
Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka
Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3001, 12 February 1917, Page 4
Word count
Tapeke kupu
654The Dominion. MONDAY, FEBEUARY 12, 1917. A NEW PAWN Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3001, 12 February 1917, Page 4
Using this item
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
Stuff Ltd is the copyright owner for the Dominion. You can reproduce in-copyright material from this newspaper for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International licence (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0). This newspaper is not available for commercial use without the consent of Stuff Ltd. For advice on reproduction of out-of-copyright material from this newspaper, please refer to the Copyright guide.