February 1, 1914.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



227 



MR. WILSON'S "HISTORY OF MEXICO." 



After the hearty applause which followed Mr. Littleton's 

 speech, proving that those present were in accord with his views, 

 President Hodgman next introduced Henry Lane Wilson, former 

 ambassador to Mexico. Mr. Wilson's address was distinguished 

 from the preceding ten-minute speeches by being lengthened 

 out to several times ten minutes. It took the form of a history 

 of the Mexican people and began back almost at the time of 

 their aboriginal ancestors, bringing them down through the ages 

 to the modern turbulent times of the Latin-American race; 

 giving a detailed review of the varied reasons for the present 

 revolution in Mexico, and of those causes which led up to the 

 ambassador's own leave-taking from that Tierra Calicntc. 



The speaker made quite an impression when he said that the 

 United States had actually intervened in Mexico — not by arms 

 but by dictation as to the manner in which they should run 

 their affairs ; and also that there was documentary evidence on 

 file in \\'ashington, secured by government secret service men, 

 showing that a certain large and well-known oil company assisted 

 Madero in his attempt to overthrow the Mexican government. 



"The conditions in Mexico today," he continued, "are worse 

 than reported by the press. The country is full of revolutionists, 

 half-civilized Indians who make plunder their business. It is 

 not because of patriotism that they are fighting, and so long 

 as loot is in sight the uprisings will continue. The Mexican 

 politicians fully realize this point and are using these ignorant 

 natives in an effort to overthrow their enemies. 



"If the government of General Huerta had been recognized 

 at its inception it would have made peace throughout Mexico 

 and thousands of lives would have been saved and millions of 

 dollars of property, especially of foreigners and Americans, 

 would not have been destroyed. The administration at Wash- 

 ington saw fit not to accept my recommendation to recognize 

 the government of General Huerta and at that time I predicted 

 exactly what has occurred there during the last six months and 

 exactly the conditions that prevail there today. 



"We have now actually intervened in Mexico. Don't make any 

 mistake about that — not by -arms, but we have nevertheless 

 actuallv intervened in Mexico. 



they should put into office and whom they should put out of 

 office. 



"Whenever before has this government ordered Americans 

 out of a foreign country without guarantee of protection for 

 their losses, or announced a policy which makes us virtually over- 

 lords of every republic from the Rio Grande to Cape Horn and 

 makes it necessary to interfere in every turbulent republic in 

 that great empire? 



"These arc policies born of scholastic dreams, or, perhaps, of 

 ideas formed before unhappy divisions made possible the exer- 

 cise of power by theorists. 



"The president of this Republic — and I have the greatest 

 respect for him — is a master of the English language and of 

 eloquent and persuasive diction. He can smite the harp of 

 idealism and from every idealistic mind in this Republic will come 

 a response; from every mind wandering in the bogs of esthetic 

 dreams. 



"But these good people must know, ought to know, that at the 

 judgment bar of history they will be responsible for all the 

 destruction of property, for all the loss of life, for all the hatred 

 and rancor in Latin America and suspicion in Europe; and 

 finally, for the sowing of the seeds of antagonism and distrust 

 between this country and the greatest country in possibilities 

 near us for all time to come." 



THE REV. MR. GILES PROVOKES GOOD HUMOR. 



The chairman next introduced Rev. Warren W. Giles, of East 

 Orange, New Jersey, who filled the assembly with continuous 

 mirth by his witticisms and pointed anecdotes. He spoke in 

 part as follows : 



"While sitting here listening to the preceding speaker I 

 have gained several new conceptions. One of them is a new 

 conception of 'esthetic dreams' with which the President of our 

 country has been charged. I have also gained an entirely 

 new idea of 20 minutes." This sally — at the expense of the 

 ex-ambassador, who had promised to speak twenty minutes 

 and had spoken for several times that number of minutes — 

 appeared to be greatly enjoyed by everyone present — with the 

 possible exception of the ex-ambassador. 



Theodore W. Bassett, 

 Member of the Dinner Committee. 



Hon. Hexry Lane Wilson, 

 Speaker. 



Hon. Martin W. Littleton, 

 Speaker. 



"And we have sent down there private, special unofficial In a more serious vein, however, Mr. Giles spoke briefly on 



representatives of the President for the purpose of telling the efficiency, laying special emphasis on the fact that this is an 

 Mexican people how they should govern their country, wliom era of efficiency, and especially of specialization. In no other 



