Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-03-09
Speculation on What viii Follow
the Di. = Administration.
REPORTS As 10 PRESIDENTS HEALTH
Military Powell Dominant in the
Southern Republic.
LONG TENURE OF OFFICE


! CITY OF MEXICO, March 2, 1901.
| What is the truth in regard to the health
| of President Diaz?" asked Mr.. Limanteur,
| the minister of finance, who has acted as
provisional president in the absence of the
| chief executive.
I'VE do not believe he Is very ILL.," the
minister replied. He has some rheuma-
| tism in the back Of his neck and his
shoulders, which does not yield readily to
treatment, but that Is not believed to be
serious except the president Is now adj
vancing in years and is necessarily losing
| some of the great recuperative power he
has always shown. He Is tremendous
worker. He has never been sick a day In
his life, and, therefore, when he has a slight
irdisposition the people are apt to exagger-
ate it's seriousness. He would have re-
turned to the City of Mexico some time ago
but the ministers united in a message to
him to the effect that all was going well
at the capital, and he should stay as long
as was advisable to avoid the great change
OF temperature from the hot country where
he has been to the City of Mexico which
Is cold at this time Of the year. FRESH
| dent Diaz Is over seventy years of age.
He has led a strenuous life. 1t IS only
natural he should begin to feel the weight
| of advancing years, but we do not believe
| he Is seriously i'll. We believe he will be
| spared to us for many years yet to come"
VII the PreSlQent make MS proposed
| European trip?'
| THAT l doubt very much" said Mr.. Ii
manteur. TT is long hard journey, and
I do not believe he will undertake it. He
wants to go. He needs the change and
rest, but it will doubtless be given up, as
| 1t has several times before"
| ''Will he make any tour at alp
HE may go to the United States the
only objection to this being that. while he
desires quiet, he would hardly be able to
| enjoy much of that a trip through the
United States. where the people anx-
ious to give him a great reception. If he
| goes to the United States 1t will probably
| be in May or June
Has he any thoughts Of retiring from
| the presidency"
'.He would undoubtedly like to do 80 were
| he sure that all would go well. He might
| possibly retire from the active administra-
| ton Of the office in favor of some one who
| would carry out his policies. He would al
| ways be within call, however and ready to
| respond, as was the case once before. That
is perhaps the only political change which
may be anticipated in the near future. The
removal of President Diaz from the service
| of his country is not possibility the peo-
| pie Of Mexico care to contemplate"
Possibilities of the Future.
| Notwithstanding the conservative state
ments of this cabinet official there is con-
siderable dynamite in the present political
| situation in Mexico. Mexicans and resident
| foreigners are eagerly and anXIouSly dis
| cussing the possibilities Of the future.
| While there is no avowed censorship of the
| telegraph or malls, no resident correspon-
| dent in Mexico can treat Of these matters
with any degree of frankness. Tourists and
! special writers who come to Mexico for a
| brief stay are rarely able to grasp the sit
uation as 1t really Is, and Tor this reason
| the people of the United States are pos
sessed Of very little real knowledge as to
| the principles on which the Mexican, gov
eminent is conducted or OF the Influences
| which are constantly struggling Win each
| other for supremacy.
The most persistent medical treatment
| has failed to relieve his distress, and Tor
| this reason the rumors OF serious 1H-health
| of the matter is in all probability that
| President DdaZ has not very much longer
| to live. He has splendid constitution and
| has never suffered from i'll health, but from
| the time of his boyhood he has been
soldier and hunter and has experienced
many severe physical trials for which he
| is now paying toll. The great American
| insurance companies are carrying MIN as
| a risk to the amount Of hundreds Of thou
! sands Of dollars, some Of the examinations
| having been made quite recently and prov
| ing most satisfactory. The President 8
| health, in short, is about that OF any man
| of his years who has led an active life. He
| may live for some time yet and he may
| pass away suddenly at any moment. 1t is
this uncertainty, involving as 1t does such
| tremendous consequences to his country,
| that give rise to SO much uneaSlnesS.
Need of a Wise and Strong Man.
| Had Mexico q constitutional way Of deal
ing with all emergencies and difficulties
| there would be little anxiety beyond such
as that as attends possible change Of adj
ministration in the United States. Under a
| dictatorship. however, where the people are
| not we'll informed in the theory Of the pop
| ular will, there Is no security in the writ
| ten procedure, for it never followed.
yliSa ct E6S a
| government in Mexico. Such man has
been in power for twenty-four years. He is
| now closing the cycle of his usefulness, and
| the distress in the prospect OF his laying
| down the scepter is all the more real in
! that his reign has been so wise and so
| beneficial, 1t is realized 1t will be unusual
| good fortune TO discover another equally
| wise and skillful hand graspIng the helm.
From the talk in one quarter 1t might be
| inferred that President Diaz had already
| laid down his earthly burden and that the
| fight for his shoes was now on. In another
quarter 1t is stoutly maintained that the po-
litical situation today is the same as it
always has been during the recent years of
| the present administration, and that but
one sun shines IN the political heavens:
sense says the other with considerable
asperity. HE never was in better health
touch OF rheumatism, MISUNDERSTANDING
years against him. but. poof! that is moth
Ing. Just you raise your hand against the
government and see If he is alive or not, -
| and SO it goes. Men affirm or deny as their
| interests or sympathfes may lie. Many
shake their heads and look wise because
| they know nothing, and perhaps this is true
Of the largest proportion Of the gosstpers.
The President's Condition.
Upon very good authority it may be said
that President Diaz is probably older than
is generally believed. Officially, his age is
seventy. but it would be perhaps conserv-
alive to add at least five years. and these
five years come at a. critical time In the life
of man whose energies have been fully
exercised from the days Of hts boyhood
Physicians of standing in the City Of Mex
leo who are familiar with the physical con-
dition Of the president say that his trouble
is now due to the hardening of the arteries
and that from this arises the pain which he
suffers constantly at the base Of the brain
and in his shoulders, ~
AFTER Diaz. whom? After Diaz, what?
Is he really failing, this great president Of
ours?" the Mexicans are asking.
lis this country. long SO peaceful and 30
prosperous. again to be plunged into the
horrors Of civil disturbances" investors are
wondering.
Are grasping, ambitious men to secure
control, plumber the people, drive away