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Show GOVERNOR 0. B. COLQUITT COL-QUITT of Texas, who insists in-sists that President Wilson j should enlighten him as to I the Mexican situation. EX-PRESHW SOKJIlli Explains What Will Happen if This Country Intervenes Inter-venes in Mexico. WASHINGTON, ' Feb. 27. What American nltervenllon ln Mexico would mean was dlecusscd by former President Taft tonight in an address before the National Geographical society, with a word of warning to those who advocated such a slop. "The situation is In such condition that It will be Improper for mo to comment com-ment on II," ho said, "except to say this: That those who lightly look forward to Intervention are either utterly regardless regard-less of the loss of life and the expenditure expendi-ture of lmmcnso treasure, or else they don't Know what armed intervention on tho part of (his government In Mexico will mean. "Those of us who have had experience in the tranqulllzlng of a tropical country coun-try with a people not very different from tho Mexicans, who take naturally to guerrilla guer-rilla warfare nnd who would rathor right than work that Is, would rather fight and run than work know the difficulties difficul-ties that an army would have to meet to accomplish tho only purpose that we would havo In going in, to wit, the bringing bring-ing about of law and order. "It would lnvolvo tho garrisoning with a sufficient force of every town. It would involve the organization of columns col-umns to chase tho guerrillas Into their monntln fastnesses and acrosa tho desert plains and the Hubjugation of 15,000,000 of people. No effort ought to bo omitted to prevent a catastrophe like this." Mr. Tnft described to tho society how Colonel Goethals was "found" to build the Panama canal, and, referring to tho proposal to make the colonel police commissioner com-missioner of New York, advised against taking such a man from the service of tho national government. He proposed that congress, after the canal is In operation, op-eration, elevate Colonel Goethals to the rank of major general and authorize the president to name him chief engineer of the" army. Incidentally, Mr. Taft took occasion to publicly recommend to Mayor MItchol for the police commlssloncrshlp Captain James G. Harboard of the First cavalry. , , Telling of tho controversy in congress that arose over the choice of the lock tvpe canal for Panama. Mr. Taft said "the great power" that terminated the discussion wns the "direct influence of President Roosevelt." |