frontier, by the edict of the United States Government. Clearly these conditions demonstrated an act of partisanship and not one of neutrality. The position taken by the United States Department of State appeared inexplicable in this respect as the insurrectionists and not Huerta's men were responsible for the murder of many United States citizens and foreigners.

The landing of marines and the ensuing skirmish was an act of war. The referred to partisanship could easily have been regarded as an act of war by the de facto Mexican Government. The departure of the representatives of governments from the capitals of countries whose relations are strained is looked upon as preliminary to a declaration of war, and these departures took place. The Americans killed during the landing and occupation of Vera Cruz constituted a cause for war, but the Democratic administration of the United States hesitated to press matters. As a matter of fact it feared the declaration would come from Mexico. Unpreparedness was the cause of the peace-at-any-price policy, and startling as that may appear, it is a better reason than the other one that has been attributed to the administration's attitude. There is not a great nation existing, worth the name of a nation, that has become one except through war.

If the United States would maintain its prestige with those nations it must protect its citizens abroad, not only with verbal force but with armed force when necessary. The same applies to its Pacific and Atlantic expansion. To expect that money alone and always can achieve success in colonial expansion and maintain protection for its citizens and dignity for itself, is a fallacy.

The efforts of the United States to placate General Huerta by resorting to the good offices of Argentine, Brazil and Chili, in an endeavor to effect an amicable

settlement for his refusal to fire the salute demanded, creates the impression that the United States pandered to General Huerta by choosing mediators of similar blood and tongue. If this is correct, the foreign policy of the United States and its reading of Latin-American character was defective. The "backdown" and hesitation displayed by the United States after its occupancy of Vera Cruz was not a colossal triumph, either in diplomacy or intervention, and anger brooded over both lands. It did not, and such vacillation will not in the future, engender wholesome respect for American citizens from Latin America. The position taken by the United States was only in effect palliative, and varnished over a bad condition of affairs: and then war was inconvenient.

An element of great weakness in a military sense is seen in the sociological condition of the United States which is unique in the history of peoples. There is no homeogeneity of nationality and owing to this condition, selfish interests demand priority over permanent military efficiency.

Since President Polk the national racial complexion has altered by the introduction of many millions of Europeans of varied nationalities. This has entirely submerged the American individuality.*

The immigrant of 1850 readily assimilated. In 1914 the various nationalisms are conserved, perpetuated, and

*The total immigrants from 1824 to 1912 numbered 29,611,000 In 1911-12 Italy sent 340,000; Austria, 337,000; Russian, 220,121. All Europe in those two years contributed 1,483,632; Asia, 40,000; Latin America, 200,000. The language of the country is dialectic and is no longer English in its pronunciation. It is known as the United States language and words of German, Yiddish and European languages are introduced into its use proportionately with the nationality and numbers in certain centers of alien population. Many thousands speak only their national tongue. On the other hand many families conserve their national language after three generations.

imperfect amalgamation exists. There are the IrishAmericans, German-Americans, Scandinavian-Americans, Pennsylvania-Dutch-Americans, Chinese-Americans, and there are 11,200,000 civilized American negroes to-day. There are few homogeneous Americans, except the descendents of the early Dutch and English Pilgrims and Puritans and the cavalier Virgina Colonists, whose American identity has not become merged in the sociological re-constitution.*

A vast proletariat (with a vote) is the result of the immigratory influx, polyglot in tongue and heterogeneous in nationality, always with a large proportion retaining the sentiments, customs and religion of their original nationality. This condition has not developed a high standard of life.

**The military (and naval) rank and file contain a large number of this element, and it is "food for thought" how many of these would be available in war against their own nation, in the event of hostilities between that nation and the United States, or how many United States citizens of European or Asiatic extraction, composing the proletariat, would in the event of war return, despite their citizenship, to their native countries and regiments where they were conscripted.

*The "German vote" and the "Irish vote" is a great factor in determining the result of presidential elections, to say little of the negro vote.

**During the recent Balkan war, thousands of Albanians, Bulgarians, Greeks, Montenegrins and Turks left the United States and returned to their regimental colors.

CHAPTER IV.

The more recent administrations, elected under existing political and social conditions, have become isolated in their international relationships. Transitory ignorance has possessed the politician-diplomat and when this has not been the case the "mob mind" of the electorate has domineered the party administration whose patronage dictated the appointment.

Under these conditions of defective diplomacy the probabilities of war are increased.

EXTRAORDINARY CONDITIONS.

1. The quadrennial family (election) quarrel and its sequence, viz: the struggle for office, to which all questions of a foreign and domestic nature are subordinated. The stagnation of commerce and industry pending the outcome, for one year in advance of, and one year after, the "quarrel" is temporarily suspended.

II. A navy, without a foreign-going mercantile marine to convoy, except through a Canadian canal and that limited in capacity to the size of torpedo boats. A Navy without United States ships to coal it, and without Pacific Coast coaling stations. A navy, whose officers complain of a shortage of war material. This may be correct considering the large amount of condemned ammunition returned from the Philippines.

III. An army of a million men (all sources) of which 914,000 are untrained and undisciplined, or pro rata with the index estimate.

IV. Inadequate war material to supply the now worldwidely distributed 86,000 trained men composing the Federal Army in a six months campaign. For a more extended period of military operations it would take the country two years to manufacture an effective quantity in advance of extended military operations, and money could not purchase it abroad after a declaration of war. At least not in time to be effective.

V. The tirades of abuse directed by the press adherents of each great political party, against the now triangular opposition. In many cases this is vindictive in allegations and the foreign powers, constituting the "outside world," recognize that political concretism exists, while the Latin-American, without exception, laughs superciliously in his cuff, and determines that his method of bayonet to decide the ballot is preferable in presidential elections and issues.

The press has the power of moulding the vote of the proletariat and consequently the verdict of the issue. In addition thereto, it has the power to comment and lead opinion sub judice in cases both civil and criminal. Pernicious bias is exhibited in many instances and this creates prejudice, resulting in civil, criminal and political injustice. Thus the press of the country is directly the political creative and governing power. The press is the government, and it is to its great influence that beneficial or harmful results may be traced. In other words, that which is entirely outside of government control, creates and controls.

VI. A diplomatic corps, chiefly selected by political party preference. Competent? Yes!-in the lines of the various professions from which its members are graduated, but rarely diplomatists.