Page:Mexico and its reconstruction.djvu/25

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WHY MEXICO IS A PROBLEM
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be no doubt that whatever is done by the United States in Mexico will have a very clear repercussion on the Pan-Americanism of which the United States has been an exponent and defender. What the policy has meant has never been definitely stated. The idea greatly needs clarifying. Pan-Americanism of the sort that has been popular in some quarters in the past will become more and more difficult to maintain. The actual developments in world affairs promise little for any policy that can be interpreted as inconsistent with a recognition that "independence" carries great and increasing responsibilities toward foreign states and individuals.

8. The relations of the United States and Mexico have an interest not limited to America. In dealing with Mexico the northern republic will have a complex problem involving contrasting civilizations and the meeting of a people with wide experience in democratic institutions with one almost unexperienced in popular government, though nominally devoted to its ideals. Its policy will be influenced by the measures taken to develop the latent natural resources and the already important foreign trade and investments. Mexico is the greatest and wealthiest of the weak states of predominantly aboriginal population that lie near to a great Western power. Obviously the political and economic adjustments that are found possible under such circumstances cannot fail to be of interest to all the world and especially to those powers which have close contact with the less developed independent nations.

9. Finally, the Mexican problem is one that has unusual interest for the world and especially for the