Show OUR DEBT TO VILLA emotions ranging all the way from admiration and good will to profound suspicion and even detestation are evoked among our editorial observers by the growing of 0 frau fran cisco villas star in Al mexico exico yet the most hostile of these commentators while recognizing only selfish and sordid motives behind villas protestations tio s of friendship tor for the united states admit that his prompt repudiation of carrangas Carran zas demand tor for the evacuation 0 of vera cruz saved the wilson administration from a position of profound embarrassment and it is also admitted that in taking this stand at a moment when all mexico was at the ignition point with hadd hatred of the grin goes and suspicion of our motives he imperiled his own immense popularity with his soldiers and the common people of northern mexico nothing that villa has ever done has been so BO much to his credit as his recent trip to the border to loosen the tension between his people and the americans which was reaching the breaking point writes gregory mason special correspondent in mexico of the new york outlook but in a later dispatch mr air mason explains that the most important reason tor for this mexican leaders peaceful attitude toward the ie united states Is his desire to get more ammunition over the border having at present only enough for one big battle and incidentally we are reminded by the april number of mr air bryans commoner that it was president wilsons Wll Wil sons original decision to raise the embargo on arms that made it possible tor for villa to make his triumphant march southward it will be recalled that when villa rushed north to jaurez after our forces seized vera cruz his first public utterance was a declaration that le he would not be dragged into a war with the united states by anybody throw ing his ar arm ra across the shoulders of I 1 george C carothers a special agen of our state department he remarked ked with a smile why all europe would laugh ai ae us it if we went to war with you they would say that little drunkard huerta has drawn them into a tangle at last and later when interviewed by a representative of the new york world on the subject of mediation by the A B C powers se said while I 1 am hoping that these mediators will go thru to success yet I 1 do not wish to see the control of affairs go out of the hands of the united states which is big enough broad enough and powerful enough to be patient and tolerant of us in our troubles 1 I would hate to see those three powerful south american countries gain too strong a hold on my country countr tor for that would not be for our good I 1 know them and they are like some people in my country who do not always mean what they say my aly first wish would be that president wilson handle this whole affair alone for I 1 believe he Is honest and intelligent enough to know what Is right and to do it it will also be remembered that on several occasions after expressing his views with clearness and decision villa made a point of reminding the interviewer that he spoke only as a soldier and not a diplomat and that the final decision rested with my chief general carranza yet simultaneously with these assurances of his loyalty to C carranza arganza ar ranza come pers persistent latent rumors of jealousy and friction between the two constitutionalist leaders A few days ago representative kent of california a progressive eulogized villa before congress as a great leader of men who has been growing in power and in the knowledge of what the civilized world demands of him and a little later sanator lippett rep of rhode island introduced a resolution calling upon president wilson for information concerning pub dished reports that it was the admin adain rations purpose to aid general vil la to become the next ruler of 0 co this revolution reo lution was defeated but during the discussion it called forth villa was denounced as a killer ol of defenseless men a robber and a vio lator later of women 1 what manner of man Is villa asks the omaha world herald Is he playing a square game with his northern brother or is he ly slipping us a handful of cards from the bottom of the deck the while engaging us in a pleasant and reassuring conversation the omaha paper states on the authority of washington correspondents that secretary bryan has such confidence in villa that he opposed the of the embargo foi forbidding bidding the shipment of arms across the border to the constitution alises and it cites a recent signed statement of secretary daniels extolling the constitutionalists as patriots statement which in the opinion of the world herald was inferentially a testimonial to villa concerning the baffling puzzle presented by this mexicans personality the same pap capr r goes on to say i everything that has been told of villa shows him as a monster of brutality and cruelty his entire history is that of a robber and assassin lifted new by the fortunes of war into a conspicuous position which he has filled with such signal military ability as to give him a coating of ability A study of the benton case leads irresistibly th tb the conclusion that he first murdered or sanctioned the murder of that unfortunate man then lied and tricked his waa wa out of the responsibility for lt it and topped off by playing horse with our government in the matter of allowing an inspection spec tion of the body being kindly assisted in this latter feat by his nominal superior carranza yet now he seems to be dealing and talking albing like a good and honest man a rugged fellow to be sure but 0 of worthy parts on every opportunity he voices the most commendable sentiments and resolutions he avows a simple faith in us he is resorting to every means in his power to like and trust him he is very plainly taking pains to insure that none of his subordinates or the people in the territory he controls shall do anything to affront this government which is the real villa the old one me or the new how much of myth and fable and injustice have gone perhaps to the makin making of his bad reputation uta tion Is it possible that underneath that forbidding exterior back of that treacherous smile smil dwells a heart of oak a manly soul Is he actually what he seems now and not at all what he be has seemed we must wait for the answer in due time it will come and come from villa himself it is probable that the answer whether yes or no will bear heavily on oa our future relations with mexico meanwhile tho hoping for the best from him it will do no harm to brace ourselves for the worst for our own part we could look with rare complacency and approval on a decision of our government to keep that embargo on arms and ammunition clamped on tight tor for yet quite a little while longer less suspicious Is the new york globe which thinks that the war might have been over months ago tf there had not been so much atte attention aaion paid to the fact that villa once was a bandit moreover adds the globe it if the belligerency of the Cons tiona lists were recognized by this country it would not be necessary to worry about the results of the mediation the mexicans themselves would attend atten d to huerta As this paper sees it villa is not only a stout friend of this country but a champion of civilization and order and in the new york world dem we read 1 whatever the future may hold in its hand the tact fact remains that the american people are at present under great obligations to villa he is the one strong commanding military figure in mexico and he has exerted his influence to help this country carry out the demand made upon huerta A word from villa would have turned constitutionalist troops against the united states the moment vera cruz was occupied yet this so called bandi thas not only held his men in line but they have rendered praiseworthy service to this government ern ment it was a constitutionalist army that rescued the the american consular general at monterey after he had been insulted abresi arresi arrested led and imprisoned by the huerta forces at tampico the constitutionalists renew ed their attack upon the federals when they found that american citi zens wore were in danger at lie Hermos lUo consul hostette hosteller r reports that the constitutionalist Constitution aMt commander Is rendering every possible aid to americans even offering them financial assistance si villa may have done many things that cannot be defended for anarchy Is not likely to produce military leaders who are arc overnice over nice in their methods of making warfare but the man stands out as a strong verile figure who commands the confidence of his followers in the highest degree and who seems capable of loyal and disinterested public service it must be plain to anybody of ardi nary intelligence that villa can simplify the american problem in mexico or who can make it immeasurably more complicated his friendship and influence may be worth thousands ot of troops to the united states in restoring order and reestablishing establishing re representative government in his unfortunate country why then abuse him shall we be better oft off it if villas friendship Is alienated and his armed veterans are turned against us among many other papers which are arc re ready ady to honor villas claims on our gratitude we find the new york continued on I 1 page sevin seven OUR DEBT TO VILLA continued from page two press st louis republic dem columbus dispatch ind buffalo enquirer dem oklahoma city oklahoman Ol dem winston sa lem journal dem memphis commercial appeal dem savannah news dem phoenix arizona republican and atlanta journal dem contrasting huerta and villa the baltimore sun ind says when we compare the two men as instrument ol of government and as influences for the re establishment of 0 order in mexico huerta becomes a pigmy beside villa the lat tatters attitude tube at present is the most potent influence among mexicans for the inauguration gu ration of staple government lie he is simplifying the american mission in mexico and strengthening our hands in every way possible converting mexicans by his example from enemies into friends aluerta is trying to fire the mexican heat beat against us and is willing to sacrifice his country to his own ambition ambi tiou on oa the other hand there are many who insist that villa is at war tor for graft only that his friendship tor for this country can be counted on only so long as we are pulling his chestnuts out of the fire and that anything approaching an alliance with him would be a disgrace to the nation look lok out tor for villa warns the boston herald and the philadelphia inquirer is convinced that from huerta to villa would be a jump from the frying pan into the fire this seems to be the view also of the philadelphia press and telegraph new york american and others Prel president dent wilsons Wll Wil sons apparent sympathy with the constitutionalist cadose la Is explained by a washington correspondent of the new york evening post on the theory that the real problem in mexico Is an a agrarian problem F e m Z and tid that the constitutionalists alone recognize this fact and offer a solution we read for information given today by men close to the administration it seems that the president looks upon the mexican problem as wholly an agrarian one a trouble deeply rooted IS w the soil or rather in the system which has made a few men landholders and millions of men slaves madero intended to make the peons geons landholders and the administration it Is said believes that it if madero had not been assassinated he would have wrought the reform which lie he preached carranza and villa if they come into power intend to carry out the land policy of madero therefore there went out to them a sympathy which finally became strong enough to induce the president to lut lift the embargo on arms for the constitutional ests literary digest |