The Great Events by Famous Historians, Vol. 21 - The Recent Days (1910-1914) | Page 3

has become
practically impossible.[2]
[Footnote 2: See A Step Toward World Peace, page 259.]
In her dealing with her Spanish-American neighbors, the United States
has been less fortunate. She has, indeed, achieved a labor of
world-wide value by completing the "big ditch" between the Oceans.[3]
Yet her method of acquiring the Panama territory from Colombia had
been arbitrary and had made all her southern neighbors jealous of her
power and suspicious of her purposes. Into the midst of this era of
unfriendliness was injected the Mexican trouble. Diaz, who had ruled
Mexico with an iron hand for a generation, was overthrown.[4]
President Madero, who conquered him, was supported by the United
States; and Spanish America began to suspect the "Western Colossus"
of planning a protectorate over Mexico.
[Footnote 3: See Opening of the Panama Canal, page 374.]
[Footnote 4: See The Fall of Diaz, page 96.]
Then came a counter-revolution. Madero was betrayed and slain, and
the savage and bloody Indian general, Huerta, seized the power.[1] The
antagonism of the United States Government against Huerta was so
marked that at length the anxious South American Powers urged that
they be allowed to mediate between the two; and the United States
readily accepted this happy method of proving her real devotion to
arbitration and of reestablishing the harmony of the Americas.
[Footnote 1: See Mexico Plunged into Anarchy, page 300.]
In itself the entire Mexican movement may be regarded as another great,
though confused, step in the world-wide progress of Democracy. The
upheaval has been repeatedly compared to the French Revolution. The
rule of Diaz was really like that of King Louis XVI in France, a
government by a narrow and wealthy aristocracy who had reduced the

ignorant Mexican peasants or "peons" to a state of slavery. The bloody
battles of all the recent warfare have been fought by these peons in a
blind groping for freedom. They have disgraced their cause by excesses
as barbarous as those perpetrated by the French peasantry; but they
have also fought for their ideal with a heroism unsurpassed by that of
any French revolutionist.
DEMOCRACY IN THE WORLD
Equally notable as forming part of this unceasing march of Democracy
was the progress of both Socialism and Woman Suffrage. But with
these two movements we must look beyond America; for their advance
was not limited to any single country. It became world-wide. When
Woman Suffrage was first established in New Zealand and Australia,
the fact made little impression upon the rest of the globe; but when
northern Europe accepted the idea, and Finland and Norway granted
women full suffrage and Sweden and Denmark gave them almost as
much, the movement was everywhere recognized as important. In Asia
women took an active and heroic part in the struggles for liberty both in
Persia and in China. In England the "militant" suffragists have forced
Parliament to deal with their problem seriously, amid much
embarrassment. In the United States, the movement, regarded rather
humorously at first, became a matter of national weight and seriousness
when in 1910 the great State of California enfranchised its women, half
a million of them. Woman Suffrage now dominates the Western States
of America and is slowly moving eastward.[1]
[Footnote 1: See Woman Suffrage, page 156.]
Socialism, also, though some may call it a mistaken and confused
dream, is yet a manifestation of Democracy and as such will have its
voice along with other forms of the great world-spirit. It has made
considerable advance in America, where there have recently been
Socialist mayors in some cities, and even Socialist Congressmen. But
its main progress has been in Europe. There it can no longer be
discussed as an economic theory; it has become a stupendous and
unevadable fact. It is the laboring man's protest against the tyranny of
that militarism which terrorizes Europe.[2] And since military tyranny
is heaviest in Germany, Socialism has there risen to its greatest strength.
The increase of the Socialist vote in German elections became perhaps
the most impressive political phenomenon of the past twenty years. In

1912 this vote was more than one-third of the total vote of the Empire,
and the Socialists were the largest single party in Germany. The
Socialists of France are almost equally strong; and so are those in Italy.
When war recently threatened Europe over the Morocco dispute, the
Socialists in each of these countries made solemn protest to the world,
declaring that laboring men were brothers everywhere and had no will
to fight over any governmental problem. Many extremists among the
brotherhood even went so far as to defy their governments openly,
declaring that if forced to take up arms they would turn them against
their tyrannous oppressors rather than against their helpless brothers of
another nation. Thus the burden of militarism did by its