San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1893-10-09
SCENES IN WONDERLAND,
Consul Crittendsn Not Posted About
Mexlco-New Industries-AN New
Firm--Killed on the Rail-
Short Stops---Personals.

Hon, ThOS. II. CritUeDden, consul
general of the United States with
headquarters in the City of Mexico,
wrote a letter to Messrs Keller
Bros. of st. Louis, Mo-, about the
international affairs of Mexico,
which has attracted good deal OF
attention in this city.
Consul Crittenden has only been
few months in the republic and
in that short time he thinks that
he knows more about the
resources OF the country
and how to develop them than the
men who were born and raised
here, and who devoted the best part
of their lives to the study of ways
and means to best promote the
welfare of their people and the de-
velopmept of the mineral agricul-
tural and manufacturing indus
tries of their country.
i will quote few extracts from
his letter:
"INFERIOR MEXICAN FLOUR"
HThere is a large section of Next
co in which good Mexican wheat is
raised, and there are, so | am in
formed some modern mills at San
Luis POtosi and Chihuahua, where
this wheat is made or ground into
good flour. This flour is of course
Tree of duty, and when you add to
this advantage that of the preju-
dice of this people in favor of their
own flour a decided advantage
is given against which you must
contend. There are at least 1000
American and English citizons
residing here who would, in my
opinion, prefer such a standard
brand of flour as that made at
your mills at Kansas City, and it
may be that thousands of the best
citizins residing here and in other
parts Of Mexico, of Spanish blood,
would also prefer that flour if it
were brought TO their attention.
The labratOry of the stomach, if
disordered has caused many rev.
OlutiOn and war, and if in a heal
thy condition has prevented and
settled many difficulties at home
and among foreign nations l de-
sire you to fully understand tina
| am for absolute free trade on tn
part of our government with Mex
icO."
The above extract will suffice
to show that Consul General Crit
tenden knows but very little about
the wheat and flour of this cOun-
try. If he would come to Monte
rey, he would find flour mills with
the latest and best machinery in
them, and that they turn out as
good brands of flour, and that thew
bake from it as sOOd bread as is
made from the st. Louis and Kan
sas City, Mo-, mills. If he will take
the time and trouble to visit Saltil-
10 and the principal towns and dis
tricts in the state of Cohuila, he
will find that they raise as good
wheat, and manufacture as good
brands OF flour as is raised and
manufactured in the United States.
But in order to do this country an
injury and benefit his friends, the
Consul General Crittenden:tells his
friends in st. Louis that the
mexican flour is inferior" to
theirs; that the "MeXicans are pre-
ludised in favor of their own flour"
That is in his eyes dreadful crime:
an objectionable sin that thew
should prefer the products of their
own soil and labor to that of
friends in st. Louis.
Why should the Mexicans send
to st. Louis for flour, when thew
can raise their own wheat, and
manufacture their own flour?
Should they turn free traders to
the detriment of their country
simply to please the Consul and
his friends?
The population of Mexico is esti-
mated at 100000, and that her
agricultural lands are estimated to
be able to support lOO,OOO,OOO of in
habitants; but for want of rail-
road facilities, irrigation and the
three years drOuth that prevailed
on the border states the crops were
failure, in some districts in those
states they did not raise provisions
enough to support her present
population. Thanks to the. pro-
gressive administration of Presi
dent POrtiriO DiaZ, that will not
occur again in this country.
Ever since he took charge of the
reigns of government, he encour-
aged the building of railroads,
factories, smelters, irrigation, the
opening of mines, ard the cultiva-
ton Of the soil. He has encouraged