Evening star., 1902-09-15
Gen. Diaz to Visit Foreign
Countries.
MEXICO'S PRESIDENT
WILL LEAVE THE COUNTRY IN
SAFE HANDS.
If He Resigns His Successor VIII b
Either the Secretary Of War or
Secretary of Finance.
Written for The Evening Star.

Written for The Evening Star.
| Not long ago it stated in a dispatch
| from Mexico that General Mena, a member
| Of the cabinet, was going to Europe to
| arrange for the visit of President Diaz. On
reading this a former diplomatic repre-
| sentative of the United States said: The
| greatest American of his era south of the
Rio Grande is going to put his country to
| the test. When General Diaz leaves it for
| six months this means that he is getting
ready to have the future Of Mexico deter
mined
This diplomat, in speaking Of the chief
magistrate of the neighboring republic, by
| leaving off the prefix Latin or Spanish and
| calling him simply an American, perhaps
| meant to rebuke the popular notion that the
| American continent consists of the inhabi-
| tants of the United States, but he also had
| in mind the strong strain of Indian blood
| that runs in the veins of General Diaz and
| those qualities of the native race that have
| given him such force with his people.
The Captor of Macmillan.
| The talk was reminder of some personal
| experiences during the sessions of the Pan
American conference in Mexico last winter,
| when opportunities out Of the ordinary
! were afforded me to learn something Of the
| inner influences and aspirations Of the pub
| lie men of Mexico 1t was at a banquet of
| an official character when an introduction
| was made to General Escobedo, the captor
| of Maximilian. General Escobedo in his
personal appearance looked very much like
| a grizZled veteran of our western plains
| and there was little that was typicaiiy Mex
| lean about him. He sociable and en-
| tertaining, but not deeply interested in the
| work of peace congress. My neighbor at
table told me about his deeds and, re-
| calling how the Mexican sentiment of
| nationality was quickened by the final over
| throw of the usurping monarchy, / asked:
| How did it happen that General Escobedo
| did not become president?'
| He a fne soldier was the reply,
| but Porfirio Diaz Was soldier and
! statesman"
This epitomizes the history of Mexico for
| thirty five years. She needed a soldier and
a statesman and she found him.
| The meaning Of the new era of Mexico
was impressed vividly on me at official
| reception one night at the presidential man
| sion at Chapultepec. 1t was very brill
| liant scene more brilliant if possible than
| a reception at the White House in Wash
| ington, because the corridors and the ter
| races of Chapultepec so much better
| fitted for such assemblage. Interesting
| event, is it not said one of the foreign
ministers at my elbow. There is the wife
| of the Austrian minister on the arm Of
| President Daz"
| 1t deeply Interesting and significant,
| too. for it reminder that Austria
|
come friends and now had their respective
ministers mutually accredited.
| Relations Resumed With Austria.
Austria. in the lifetime of Francis Joseph,
may not be able to forget the old emper-
| or's illstarred brother and the dream OF
| MaXimilian establishing monarchy in the
| new world, but Mexico could forgive, and
did Only d few months previously the
| diplomatic reconciliation had been effected,
! after series of preliminary steps, in which
| the Mexican government had shown ex-
quisite tact and consideration for Austrian
| sensibilities. This was the elimination of
the policy which Gen Diaz had begun when
| he had sought to cOnciliate the Mexican
| partisans of Macmillan, and had identified
| them with his administration, thus secur-
ing the support of many wealthy and
| powerful families of conservatives
| When he visits Europe, President Diaz
may may not include Vienna in his itin-
erary but in whatever countries he stops
| he will find the new diplomatic status of
| Mexico fully recognized. Great Britain,
| France and Germany will be the foremost
| to do him honor because the amount of
! their capital invested in Mexico is very
| large and they know how to appreciate the
man who has made their investments safe
| and stable.
| The European trip. whenever it is made
| will be to raise the inquiry whether
! these investments are going to be as safe
| in the future as they now are, and this
| means whether Mexico is to continue her
| present growth. During a stay of several
months in the capital of the republic 1
| found no prominent MeXicans and few
| Americans Europeans who doubted it,
| But at a distance, where the circumstances
are not clearly understood and where
the dim memory exists of the many revo-
| lutions that took place before stable gov
ernment was firmly established, the ques-
| ton is certain to be asked.
| 1t can be answered confidently only by
knowing something of the remarkable group
n1,,-
nies of Mexico and who have been called to
| it's control largely by the patriotism and the
| sagacity of President Diaz. They are pro-
| gressive and courageous. They know their
| country and Its needs. But the chief sig
| nlfcance of the future is that it is to a
| group and not to a single individual that
| Mexico looks whenever President Daz shall
| lay down the reins of authority. Whoever
| becomes chief executive will become so by
| virtue of his own personality. but he will
! be neither the master nor the instrument Of
the men who control. He will be their rep
! resentative and such will represent the
| aspirations Of what is best in Mexico.
| The Succession to Diaz
| BY common consent the succession, as it
is called rests in the present cabinet of
/ President Diaz. This cabinet has three
members whose fitness and ability are rec
| ognized the world over They are Ignacio
| Mariscal, minister of foreign relations: Ber-
| nardo Reyes. secretary Of war and navy;
]
| finance.
Mr.. Marscal is the elder of the group,
| older even than President DiaZ and is we'll
| along in the seventies his career is of
| the past and the present, rather than Of the
| future. 1t has been signal career from
| the time when he represented what was
| called fragment Of the Mexican govern
| ment in Washington during the civil war
and helped secure recognition Of Juarez un-
| til the day when he was called to the head
| of Mexico's checkered foreign relations.
| Those experiences in Washington as he
! lates them were very interesting, the more
SO since as one result. Baltimore lady be-
| came his wife. and his ties of association
| were thus continued
He Is fond of literature, and, In addition
| to many original works. has translated a
great deal from American authors. A
translation made in his youth. that OF Poe's
Raven into Spanish, is said to be one Of
| the few successful efforts to render that
gruesome poem into a foreign language.
| OF Minister Mariscafs skill in diplomacy
| there are numerous Instances. His contro-
xrvfth