The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-12-20

has in view. though whether he will carry
it out is quite different matter.
THE IMMEDIATE FUTURE.
At present his purpose is apparently TO
| appoint LimantOur Vice President and
| vet allow him to retain the Treasury port
! folio
He is to be- in fact. IL not in name. the
| Regent, while Diaz Is away in Europe.
this temporary arrangement to become
permanent in case it works well. or when
the tireless brain of the great Mexican
politician is stilled in death.
The chances are, I think. in favor of
peace and an adjustment of political rival
ries and presidential ambitions within the
law, especially should Diaz long survive
his withdrawal from active affairs.
| During the last twenty five years in no
country of the world has the material
prosperity Of the people increased at such
| rapid rate as in Mexico. and IN n large
measure this change Is due to the foster
| ing care and the tireless activity Of the
| Dictator.
He found them people dependent upon
donkeys and mules for transportation and
confined az to their wants and their activi-
| ties 10 their respective pueblos.
Under his direction and principally
owing to his encouragement 10000 miles
OF extremely difficult railways have been
built, and to-day the Mexican can, and
does. buy largely in the markets OF the
world. This. In sentence. is the story of
Diaz's long term in the presidential chair
from 1876 down to the present day.
| A new generation is growing up: the
| young men of to-day are of the same blood
as were the tireless banditti Generals of
| the last generation.
The ravages Of the revolutionary period,
| though now remote, were so terrible that
| 1t is hard to believe they have been for
| gotten.
To-day undoubtedly. the great. the very
| great. majority of Mexicans. want only
peace. ut home and abroad.
1t remains to be seen. however. whether.
once the cunning hand and the cool head
that has guided them so long is removed.
they will be able to cope as successfully
az he has done with an unruly. lawless
minority.
Even Diaz's enlightened rule did not
reach the height which the mastering out
Of the army void indicate. But he has
done the next best thing to that. and
counterbalanced. in measure. the danger
of one army by having two.
1 refer to the Rurales. the mounted
constabulary. who patrol Mexico from end
to end. who swear by Diaz and have no
love for the army proper. because they
frequently come in conflict with its pre-
negatives.
These men. IL only from enlightened self
interest. are apt to oppose the narrow, ex-
elusive policy with which Reyes is gen.
orally credited, and to combat resolutely
the Indian supremacy OF the army.
One thing. however. Is certain. should,
as some prophesy, neither Reyes nor Lii
mantour follow upon Diaz. but anarchy
and confusion, owing to the presence of
our people in Mexico to the number of 49,
600. and owing to our investments there.
which have been estimated as high az
s., o00, 600 eco. we shall not be able to stand
aside as disinterestedly as We surveyed
the revolution of the seventies. out of
which Diaz. the man of destiny, emerged
Mexico has become not only geograph-
ically. but in deeper sense of the word.
our neXt-dcor ne!ghbor.
No radical change in the course of af-
fairs down there can leave us Indifferent.
Scrora and Chihuahua are practically
American to-day.
Perhaps. they. too. are destined to fol-
low the example of Texas and New Mexi- |
CO and come under the flag.
A wOMANS VIEW OF DIAZ.
Senior Mariscal Minister of Foreign Az |
fairs, offered to drive me 10 Chapultepec |
one beautiful September day. that might |
meet the President.
The drive to the castle. by the way of |
the Paseo de la Reforma. is one Of the |
sights Of the city.
AS we reached the hill of Chapultepec |
the view was beyond description
The foreground OF majectic Expresses.
the broad. bright fields beyond. emerald |
patches edged with cactus hedges. the
country roads fading into the blue dis