The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1895-06-08
MexicO's Exposition Will Teach
Us Many Lessons.
NO LONGER "MANANA" LAND
Here Is New World for American
Genius to Invade and
Conquer.

Should the national exposition of in
dustries and fine arts do one thing, place
Mexico in her proper position before the
world, 1t will have accomplished enough
to repay, many fold, all the immense OUT
lay not only Of capital and labor, but
of mental energy. No nation is more
thoroughly misunderstood. Or perhaps
1t would be better to say that of no ma
tion are all other nations so ignorant
Most Americans even, know of Mexico
through so-called histories that are much
nearer fiction than real history. Even
these, for the most part, were produced
many years ago, and had they been true
to the conditions at that time, they would
no more be true history today :han
would history of the United States Of a
similar date. An adequate idea Of the
living, real Mexico of today, can not be,
by any possibility, gathered from Pres
cott's Conquest of Mexico" and yet
there are thousands who have no other
conception of that wonderful country.
The Mexico Of Cortez is as different
from the Mexico of Diaz, as black is
from white, and it is most earnestly to
be hoped that the time is not very fer
distant when Mexico's nearest neighbors,
at least, may realize that fact.
The plan of civilization adopted by the
conquerorS of Mexico was Numerically
opposed to that of the first settlers in the
United States. The former used every
endeavor to keep the natives In a more or
less friendly state of mind, and kept
them as practical slaves, drawing from
their labor all that was left above a
bare living. This was their idea of pro-
ducing results from a conquered people,
rather than to calmly butcher the last
one OF them, and appropriate all their
property, as ala our warllke ancestors.
AS consequence, there are today In
Mexico more natives, py TWO TO one, tnan
foreigners, counting those with more
than hat toreign plood as foreigners. IL
mas been necessary, with all these ma
uVes, 10 proceed py very snort steps IN
teaching %hem the ways Oh the conquer
ors. So we hnd Mexico today in about
the mental condition, on an average, that
prevailed in Europe several hundred
years ago, while thoughtiess critics
would Immediately ht to them the
most modern governmental machinery.
That 1t would be a msht Is a foregone
conclusion. To no living man does Mex
leo owe SO much as to her honored
president, Porfirio Diaz, and most Mex
icas know 1t. For many years ne has
been at the helm, ana TO MS FERTILE brain
and steady hand the people are indebted
to an extent impossible to estimate.
In 1873 there were in the entire re-
public about SOS miles OF railway, In
cluding the street railroads OF the Fed
eral district. During the following
twenty years there were constructed
1886 miles, SO that 1888 found Mexico
with l,lW miles of railroads. When 1t is
remembered that most OF this mileage Is
of main lines, there being comparatively
few branches 1t will be seen that Mex
leo is fairly well served In this direc'
ton.
After noting the forward movement OF
the nation 1t is easy to understand that
the needs OF the people are increasing
proportionately and that market OF
enormous value IS being opened to the
world A few nations have already
taken advantage OF this fact, and are
doing all in their power to secure the
trade benefits which are to come to
those who supply the demand.
The United states has been SLOW,
strange as 1t may seem, to take advan-
tage Of this new condition OF things and
to secure the trade which Is r-ghtfully
and naturally hers. Other nations have
secure the lions share SO far, and are
holding their own against all comers
Probably one or the chief reasons why
this is the case is that manufacturers or
other countries first study the wishes
of the people to whom they wish to sell,
and then make what Is demanded while
A,r.n n,.ta ara n a ~ P11I Vi