The Crisis Between the United States and Mexico
By Editor
The difficulty between this nation and Mexico seems to grow more serious every day. The United States sent an ultimatum to the Mexican authorities in regard to protecting the lives and property of foreigners in that republic. They have returned word to this nation that they do not consider themselves under obligation to protect any one in their territory; and at the present writing it looks very much as if the United States would be under the necessity of intervening in Mexico, in order not only to protect her citizens who are residing there, but to protect herself against the other nations. For if this country does not protect the citizens of the other powers who are residing in Mexico, it will be only a little while until Germany, England, France, and the other great nations of the old world will feel the necessity of stepping in to do so, and thus the time-honored Monroe doctrine, if sustained, would bring this nation into conflict with the old-world powers. But more serious than anything else in connection with it, is the complication that Japan has occasioned. Of course there are those who are anxious to see the United States go to war with Mexico, for they think the result would be that Mexico would be annexed to this country, and then it would give a free overland road down to the Panama Canal, and various strategists think that this is quite essential; but the United States has been long-suffering in this controversy, and if she is finally driven to take steps against Mexico, the civilized world will certainly say that Mexico is altogether to blame. It seems, however, that every effort is being put forth to settle the difficulty by peaceable means, and we sincerely hope that it may be accomplished. On April 13 an immense tidal wave is reported to have swept the southern shore of Lake Erie. At Ashtabula a steamer was separated from her moorings and thrown against one of the largest freight schooners on the lake, smashing away much of the light upper works of the freighter. Miss Clara Barton, the founder of the American Red Cross, died at her home in Maryland on April 12. She is one of the best known philanthropic women of the nation and of the world.