Life, 1916-07-13 · page 10 of 40
Life — July 13, 1916 — page 10: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page critiques President Wilson's Mexican policy during the Mexican Revolution. The top cartoon shows a Mexican figure on "the Ladies' Links" (a golf course), suggesting Wilson allowed Mexico to be used for political purposes rather than protecting American interests. The lower illustration depicts a couple in formal dress with dialogue about a phonograph, likely representing the artificiality of Wilson's approach—performing solutions rather than implementing real ones. The accompanying article argues that Mexico's instability resulted from poor governance, not Wilson's Democratic administration specifically. It suggests Republicans blame Democrats for Mexican chaos, though the underlying problem was Mexico's inability to sustain competent republican government. The satire critiques how both parties weaponized the "Mexican problem" for domestic political gain.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
56 Mexico, A Political Asset, Both Ways AR with Mexico is a Democratic asset in that a Democt administration is in charge. But it is a Republican asset in that it gives Re- publicans something to talk about. They can charge it all to Democratic malfea- sance, and make out a tolerable case. Mr. Wilson's ruling thought anent Mexico has heen the welfare of Mex- ico; what was best for her in the long run. He has wanted passionately to secure for the Mexicans a fair chance to solve their own troubles and win through to real representative govern- ment. He set his face against all sub- jection of the human and governmen- tal interests of Mexico to the inter- ests of outsiders who were cultivating her resources. Mexico never had a better or firmer friend in intention and spirit than Mr. Wilson. He gave her every chance he could, and hoped for the best from successive leaders. But so far she has not been able to respond. People who were supposed to know Mexico have been saying for four years that the trouble down there was that there were not enough good and NZ I've HAD S BROW: REALLY? 1M SO GLAD.” “YES, YOU DIDN'T PLAY THAT D——D PHONOGRAPH ONC A DELIGHTFUL EVENING, competent men to run a republican government. No doubt that is true. Diaz ran a despotism pretty well. Ma- dero attempted to conduct a represen- tative government and failed. Then Huerta got rid of Madero, and neither Taft nor Wilson would recognize him. So in due time he fell in, and Carranza got the deal, and things muddled along to where we are now. The simplest way out is to say that it is all Mr. Wilson's fault, and the Re- publicans may be trusted to find that way. But the truth is that the Mex- ican governmental problem was a prob- lem of making an omelet out of bad eggs. Two years and a half ago an able Cleveland Democrat lawyer of New York was asked: What do you think of Wilson’s Mexican policy? He said: I think it is a complete failure. But I cannot think of any other way that would have turned out better. Making omelets of bad eggs is al- ways a failure. When the Repub- licans say this Mexican mess is all Wilson’s fault, the best Demo- cratic answer is: “It was bound to come, and if we had had it sooner we would have had it worse. It is com- ing along now in a very good time when the whole country is ready for it, and almost everybody admits that we need a lot of military training, any- how.” The ugliest part of the Mexican pic- ture is the failure to protect Amer- icans. Mr. Wilson was wary of allow- ing the government to be used for business purposes. Mr. Bryan is a pacifist, and had no pride in safeguard- ing his countrymen. The President's warning to Carranza includes a col- umn-long list of grievous outrages on Americans in the last three years. The Republicans can point to it as an in- dictment of the Democratic admini tration by itself. The Democrats can only say, “ We may have been patient to a fault, but that is over now.” And there is every sign that it is over; that Mexico at last is to be in- duced to come to order, and that all necessary assistance will be afforded her. Behind the present movement there are the two great parties in these states, about equal in the number of their voters, and the presidential election less than four months off. That means no more irresolution. If the Demo- crats haven't the nerve or the ability to put Mexico to rights, the American people have a ready alternative. And of course that is perfectly understood at Washington, and present proceedings face all the facts. E. S. Martin,