The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1901-03-14
PROGRESS IN MEXICO.
IT rs UNE0UALED IN ALL THE
WORLD.
suoh Is the judgment of Ex-secretary
Of state Foster, who Was Minister TO
Mexico Quarter-Century Ago.

of State Foster, who Was Minister Il
Mexico n Quarter-Century Ago.
John w. Foster, who went to Mexico
as minister of the United States III 1873
and remained until 1880, has, in thl
New York Tribune the first of series
OF letters, saying 1T has not been 9
history of martial achievements, which
are generally thought to make the life
of nation glorious, for they have beer
years of unbroken, even monotonous
peace. But In this period the country
has experienced az development in its
resources, industries, commerce, wealth
social and political order, education
and general intelligence unequaled by
any other country on the globe, y
Speaking first of the facilities of reach
ing the City of Mexico, he says:
When I set about the preparations
for my journey in 1873 found that the
only means Of regular communication
was by a steamer from New York, de-
parting from that port every three
weeks, and which occupied usually
twelve days in reaching Vera Cruz,
stopping at a number of ports en- route.
From that port to the City of Mexico a
railroad had been finished that year,
which had been nineteen years in conf
struction, distance of two hundred
and sixty-four miles. To-day four lines
of railroad enter the Mexican republic
from the United States, and one can
make the Journey in five days from
New York to the City of Mexico in a
Pullman car on the regular trains, with
only one change, either at Kansas City
or New Orleans
The second impression made upon
the old-time visitor to Mexico is the
every where prevailing evidence of
peace and security to persons and prop
erty. Books of travel on Mexico writ
ten twenty five years and more ago are
full of hairbreadth escapes from ban
dts, assaults upon the diligences, kid
mapping of the rich for ransom and the
depredations Of robbers and revolution
lists. The passenger train between the
City Of Mexico and Vera Cruz, the only
railroad in the country, carried car
full of soldiers as an armed guard, and
even with that precaution the male
passengers usually wore side arms ana
guard of soldiers was kept at every
station. No man Of business or of inn
portance ventured on journeys outside
of the cities, large towns or haciendas
Colonization houses surrounded by a
high stone walD without a number of
friends heavily armed or regular es-
cort. To-day trains are running daily
in almost every state of the republic
without any guards, assaults upon the
stage coach have long ago ceased, kid
mapping is a thing Of the past, robberies
on the highways are almost unknown,
travellers armed with pistols, rifles and
swords Ca common practice in the pasD
are rarely seen, and only in the remote
and mountainous districts. The use of
large bodies of soldiers to preserve
peace and order has been supplanted by
Individual gems d'armes, or policemen.
Besides the visitors own observation of |
security and peace, the old residents of |
Mexico will tell him that in this respect /
the country has undergone a complete
transformation.
On my trip to this city last month, in
the five days after leaving Washington,
/ made a note of the events Of outlaw
rE and public violence occurring in the I
United States which read of in the /
daily papers en- route, emitting lndivid-
ual murders and ordinary personal /
crimes. The catalogue was as follows:
The details of the two Rockport Gnd)
lynching affairs were still being pub
lished. A dispatch from New Mexico I
that faro and gambling houses
were wide open, that street fights were
of common occurrence, that three men
had just been killed in saloon, and
that the authorities seemed to regard
all these as matters of course. A car
nival Of bank robhing and safe blowing
to be prevailing all over the
Union, as Incidents Of this character
were telegraphed from two places in
two In Louisiana, one each in
Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee and Texas,
and In most cases it was reported the
outlaws got away safely with their
booty. The successful kidnapping of
young Cudahy at Omaha occupied coll
lmns 3of the newspapers The work
men in the Southern Pacific railroad
Yards at Algiers, just opposite New Or
cans, it was reported had to be protect ,
ID at night by armed guards from as
sassins. And, finally another of the /
-AtbiAS RCLuCStdo vi HcHtQCyh WAS |
published, with six killed and twelve t
wounded. EN
The foregoing is not an unusual rec {
'rd of outlawry for the United States,
,ut 1t Is one which can find no parallel
n Mexico to-day. 1t would be idle to t
Jay that smurder robbery and disorder
lo not occur here, for that would be to +
Lssert that the passions of men have Z
hanged; but 1t is perfectly correct to
ay that to-day outlawry Is of rare oc- 7
in Mexico, and that in few
Countries of the world is better protec- c
lon afforded to persons and property.
n the last twenty years the telegraph S
ines have more than trebled in extent
nd in number of offices, and now at Y
there comes up to the nation
4 palace in the City of Mexico from 81
very near and remote town in the re-
ublic the message, mo hay novedad." f
Is like the cry of the medieval
7atchman at midnight, 'AlFs WE'LL" Il
hat assured the citizens of peace and A
ecurity.
The primary cause of this state of g.
vii order has been the maintenance of
government of peace and of a contin- s
GUS constitutional regime. Since the
dvent of General Porfirio Diaz to pow
H., ho, frr !