THE BIG STICK

A lingering sense of sympathy for the under-dog is all that could prevent entire agreement with the decision of the Administration to sell arms to the Federal government of Mexico and continue the embargo on all shipments to the rebels. In the case of a country chronically torn by civil war, the populace is the eventual loser thru the wholesale destruction of property and the gain to law and order through a speedy settling of the strife is certainly of primary importance to the United States as well, with its large commercial interest in danger.

The only question that remains is whether such practical considerations outbalance the more doubtful equities of government as they exist under present conditions in Mexico. With elections usually only a mockery of free balloting, the party in power cannot be ousted save by military force, and in the past whenever enough of the army could be induced to desert and there was suillicient popular discontent this has been the result.

The replacement of this method by one less damaging of the resources of the country is obviously an essential to prosperity, and the policy of the United States has been directed toward this end. Whatever slight injustice may be done a discontented general whose revolt might have succeeded but for our influence, the people at large are certainly far better off and there is always hope that the day when elections will mean something may come in the near future and take away the necessity for the more violent expressions of opinion.