THE WEEPING AMERICAN DOLLAR
Boalt, Fred L.
The Weeping American Dollar By FRED L. BO ALT The noisiest thing in Mexico is a jeopardized American dollar. You can hear its cries any evening on the Plaza de la Cathedral. "What," the American...
...And you want 90,000,000 people to come to the rescue of 10,000...
...They are producers and some day they will he—if they are not now—husbands and fathers of children...
...I had to leave the capital in a hurry, too...
...What is your business in Mexico City worth...
...The American business man left Mexico City hur-riedly...
...That leaves 10,000 of the big fellows...
...Not one...
...Exactly," spoke up one of the newspaper men...
...I'm an American citizen—" "How long have you lived in Mexico...
...And you want the American troops to.go to Mexico City and save it...
...I certainly do...
...Twenty-five years...
...Then you, who don't care enough about your country to live there'' sometimes or to vote -or pay taxes, want American soldiers sent to Mexico City to save your property...
...he was asked...
...You knew Mexico was turbulent when you came in...
...Well, if we don't do something soon it will be impossible to do business in Mexico...
...But the army at Vera Cruz sheds few tears with the weeping American dollars...
...Then all the little jeopardized American dollars CLAMORED TWICE: As LOUDLY AS BEFORE...
...Pay any taxes in the United States...
...If we were to march on Mexico City, how many Americans do you suppose would die...
...The man who will die for my piano joined the army from patriotic motives...
...I demand that my property rights be protected...
...For all he knows the federals have burned his store and looted his safe...
...He wants to know if there are such things as the rights of property...
...Let's say that one man would die for every $10,000 worth of property owned by Americans...
...Certainly not...
...He left a business worth, say, $100,000...
...I don't want any of them to die," the American business' man protested...
...The census of 1910 gave 15,000 Americans in Mexico and a total population of 16,000,000...
...It is the duty of the United States government, he says, to protect American business interests abroad...
...But don't you see that I am not alone in' Mexico...
...There are hundreds—yes, thousands—of Americans in business in Mexico City...
...When are our troops going to march on the capital...
...Therefore, we must teach the Mexicans a lesson...
...But, doggone it...
...A lot of them will die...
...I left behind a piano, a dress suit and some other things...
...haven't I any rights at all in Mexico...
...Ever go home to vote...
...But they will die...
...Ten would die for yours...
...Vera Cruz for...
...You took a gambler's chance, because there was a prospect of big profits, You've lost...
...Of the 15,000 Americans, we'll say 5,000 are men working for the big mining and oil companies for wages and small salaries...
...No...
...My property is all in Mexico...
...So did the 10 who will die for yours...
...What," the American business man who has fled from Mexico wants to know, "are we loafing here in...
...One hundred thousand dollars," he said and groaned...
...They are better Americans than you, because they stay at home and vote and pay taxes...
...Maybe a soldier will die for my piano and dress suit, also...
...That's all—you've lost...
Vol. 6 • May 1914 • No. 21
