THE POLITIC PROFESSOR

Then arguments of the 101 college professors who have signed a statement in favour of immediate arbitration with Mexico on the question of alien land rights are very much to the point. These men feel that immediate action is necessary before the issue "becomes one of national pride and sentiment", and before "feeling may be aroused which will make impossible the judicial settlement now possible." Professorial arguments may not have been of much influence in United States foreign politics, but at least they cannot be regarded as emanating from men who are uninformed.

For, pursuant to his much derided attempt to inform the press of its duty to support the administration, the President has told the public that it should not criticize his postponement of arbitration with Mexico because he does not believe it "knows the facts". What the facts are which justify the so-called policy of the Administration in its semi-hostility to Mexico seems to be a question too erudite for common knowledge. Those that have been revealed, are not much more conclusive than were Kellogg's astounding accounts or a Central American "Bolshevist hegemony". They consist for the most part in a great many words about "American lives and property", which have all the carmarks of hedging." But, the chief executive cannot very well answer the arguments of professors of history, economics, and international law in the same way. If enough attention is paid to their opinions, he may be forced to act.

During the past month the government seems to have abandoned a policy of aggression only a far as public opinion has pushed it, and not an inch further. The White House and State Department have, under pressure, made vague concessions to public opinion by agreeing to arbitrate in Nicaragua and Mexico. Very little that resembles a definite action has been taken, Perhaps the idea is that the baseball scandal or the idea is that the baseball scandal or a divorce case may draw attention from the Central American situation, and leave the government free to act us it sees fit. But in the meantime resentment is brewing in nearly every country to the south of us, even as far away from the scene of action as Argentine and Brazil; and in Europe statesmen are amused at the rather amateur imperialism of the country which fought "to make the World safe for Democracy". There are times when a government should procrastinate but this is certainly not one of them Arbitration is generally recognized as the best solution of our difficulties with our southern neighbor. Mexico has agreed to it, even under conditions rather humiliating to her.

But the Washington authorities merely send carefully phrased messages to the newspapers, and insist that there must be assurance that American property rights will not be jeopardized, before they will submit to any judgment upon these rights. Arbitration under such circumstances resembles taking what one wants and flipping a coin to see if one was justified. An uncomfortable suspicion arises that the administration is marking time until revolution shall break out in Mexico and enable "the Devil-Dogs" to go in to restore order, protect American lives and property, and allow the United States Petroleum interests to develop Mexican resources in their own sweet way.