The Daily News. FRIDAY, MARCH 17. MEXICO AND THE FUTURE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 264, 17 March 1911, Page 4

The Daily News. FRIDAY, MARCH 17. MEXICO AND THE FUTURE.

The twelve million people in Mexico are not, as a crowd, noted for the coolness of, their methods or the' gentleness of their disposition in times of national anger. Perhaps we, in New ( Zealand do not feel much concerned witfi what happens in the seething federal republic, but thfere are points in the: insurrection now proceeding which may be regarded as interesting to Australasia. Special in-' I terest centres in the vague inference that Japanese influence is being brought to bear in Texas, a State noted for its hotbloods, and where small sparks only are needed to set a very explosive population alight. There has never been any doubt that Mexicans generally do not love their near neighbors of the United States, and the presence of Mexicans in the States and of Americans in Mexico do not mend matters. The great developments in Mexico, chiefly in mining matters, have been engineered by outsid- ■ ers. Huge interests are held in the republic not only by United States business people but by people from all over Europe. About twenty per cent, of the population hail from Europe, and a particularly large proportion of these are Spanish and Italian, neither people being remarkable for a peaceful disposition. Dictator Diaz, for the best of reasons, is not unfriendly to the United States or to its dollars, and it is likely that his immense influence has prevented open hostilities during the past seven or eight years. But if Diaz dies—and it has been reported that he is in failing health —there is little doubt that the seething cauldron will bubble over. Whether the United States has sent troops to the Mexican border in order to meet possible eventualities in case of the decease of Diaz, or whether, as has been reported, the troops are there to prevent Japan acquiring a coaling station on the Mexican coast, is not at present certain, but it seems reasonable enough to assume that the exceeding activity of Japan in the Pacific Ocean and the presence of a large body of Japanese in the Sandwich Islands has something to do with the vague rumor that "developments are expected, showing that Japan is a factor in the affair" in Texas. It is a reasonable assumption that if Japan is, determined to make war on the United States she 'will desire to extend her influence among those neighbors of Uncle Sam who hate him. The supposition that America by passive military demonstration will be able to secure the'enforcement of the Monroe Doctrine is small comfort, and it really is difficult to see what the Monroe Doctrine has to do with the present situation. Monroe simply decided that no European State should be allowed to deprive any of the self-governing countries on the American continent of their independence. As Mexico is not at present threatened with the loss of her independence by any European Power, it follows that the troops'have nothing whatever to do with the late lamented Mr. Monroe, but presumably with the successor to President Diaz, or his Highness the Mikado. The position is a very extraordinary one. The Monroe Doctrine places Mexico in the position of a country protected from outside aggression by .the United States. America has to watch her own enormous interests in Mexico. Mexico has thousand's of citizens of the United States in her territory, and Mexicans generally hate them and their country. An anti-American revolution would bring down on Mexico the wrath of her protectors, and the Americans in Mexico would have a hard row to hoe. Mexico is permitted, if she wants to, to transfer her dominion to an outside Power. A country in a perpetual state of boiling discontent, angry with herself and with her own governors, is ripe for secession, war, rapine or anything else. Japan is not a "European" nation, and presumably might, if she so desired, either obtain possession of the Mexican republic by cession or force of arms. Either would be equally interesting. Unquestionably Japflncsc interference in Mexico would be met by America in the only way possible. So a theory that an insurrection in a neighboring republic may set Japan and America at war sooner than expected is not without reason. The United States, which, we are assured by the cables, desire to be quite friendly with Mexico, may. of course, be distorting the Monroe Doctrine in order to keep Mexicans from hurting one another, and the whole business may have nothing whatever to do with any other Power, either European or Asiatic. The Mexican bother has at least hail the oflVef of stirring- up Uncle Sam's armv pwl irvv. n!«l whet her either fiii- one I ■ ' : l: 1 '' ' ! :i lie !!- "i| ■ ' t" line.-. (>-!' i'! Ill" : :■ : !!. ■; r !■-' " IV' :'"'>!!•.> r.i I'm' r Af-v-i ;•!;<] I lie ';i'i'al -nVconl ineu! .if Sou'li .America a faseinaliii'.' proW<»n. Til the immediate future the eyes of the statesmen of many interested countries will be turned on Asiatic ambitions not only in the Pacific Ocean and its islands, but in the West Indies. The great canal will hasten the day for international ex-

animation, and in the events of the near future Australasia will be vitally interested.