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Show oo A MESSAGE WITHOUT A KICK. Now that President Wilson's mes sage has been read before congress, and in that way proclaimed to all no tlnns, wo see nothing In it that should have prevented its publicity at the time it was delivered to Huerta by John Lind. The document should have had no embarrassing effect on Hucrta'as it presents to that Iron-handed scoundrel scoun-drel no serious alternative if he fail to bow down to the demand ta quit h'.s office. The President offers an excellent composition on friendship, but he says nothing by way of warning (o those who would continue to kill Americans and destroy American property, except to declare that "those responsible for outrages on Americans shall be held responsible to a definite-reckoning," definite-reckoning," That, of course, means nothiug and is indefinite. A rebel band cannot be held responsible because be-cause there Is no one on whom to fix respouslbllity , and, on our own statement, the Huerta regime is not a regularly constituted authority. Pur thermore, even If outrages continue, the message obligates the United States to do nothing more than urge reacc and pray that our kindly advice will be heeded. Tho urging of all Americans to leave will bo looked upon by the Mexicans, rebels and federals, as a confession of weakness on our part Taft was the flr3t to make this mistake mis-take and Wiison repeats the blunder. The .Mexicans have come to regard the Americans as shopkeepers and a majority of them nre firm in the be- lief that they could whip the mollycoddles molly-coddles of the north, and every time our government indulges in an appeal urging Americans to flee, this poor opinion of us is strengthened. One firm move, without sermonizing on peace, would do more to command respect and bring the warring factions to realize the necessity of orderly government, gov-ernment, than anything we might Go by way cf entreaty. |