The sun., 1903-12-27

the work OF ruling Mexico atter MN, IS d
man OF mark. He has proved himself one
OF Mexico's ablest statesmen: he has been
Diazs right -hand man for many years. he
Is almost unknown to the general public
outside his own country, but among finan-
ciers his reputation is worldwide.
Il can hardly imagine Lmantour as
ruler of men, the chief executive OF a nation,
said man who knows him we'll He
always seemed to me to be kind OF financial
machine, who had no human interests. who
was concerned always with money and
never with men,
"Taxes, rates Of exchange. fiscal ar
ran oements, audits-these are his daily
food He has his finger on the pulse OF the
banking community, but he knows nothing
OF the life of the people and their views
about things.
an short, he Is an ideal Secretary OF the
Treasury, but it is doubtful whether he will
make good President. Still, there Is this
to be said: jose Ives Limantour has never
yet failed in any big thing he has under
taken, and it is late in life for him to begin
to do 80 now"
To those who know him only slightly,
Limantour appears to be cold, hard, up-
sympathetic man--all intellect and no heart:
But that is not his real nature, IL his friends
are to be believed. They declare that he
is the kndliest and most generous OF men.
He gives away many thousand dis OF dol
lars every year in secret charities, while the
mob denounce him as greedy capitalist
declared one Of these friends. He brings
to the task OF hiding his benefactions as
much thought and cleverness as he does
to the great financial work which has made
him famous.
Reyes, his great rival, on the contrary,
scatten money broadcast like feudal
monarch dist rbuting largess. He is pop
ular. the people cheer madly whenever
he appears in the streets. and the soldiers
would 60 through fire and water for him.
"Limantour is not popular, except with
the members OF the business community.
who appreciate his work as statesman.
He does not know how to tickle the ears
of the grounding, and he would not do so
even il he could"
The course of Mexican politics during
recent years has been guided almost en-
tirely by the personal rivalry between
Limantour and his chief opponent. Gen.
Bernardo Reyes. former Secretary Of the
Army and Navy, and now Governor Of the
State of Nueva Leon.
"Limantour and Reyes used to be the
greatest OF friends until two or three years
ago." said Mexican visitor to New York.
-They were like David and Jonathan.
when both were staying in the City of
Mexico they were hardly ever out OF each
others company. They worked together.
lunched and dined together and constantly
visited at each others houses.
an political matters they were always
in accord 1t was obvious to everybody
that they were the only two men who could
succeed Diaz, and naturally two powerful
factions formed to push their respective
claims.
But both Limantour and Reyes depre-
Gated the activity Of their friends and did
everything in their power to check wire
pulling in their own favor. They even
urged upon Diaz. individually and sep
arately, that the other was the better man
to succeed him for the first Presidential
term after his retirement.
4Limantour would point out that Reyes
was a great soldier, the hero Of the army,
and therefore best qualified to rule the
country, at a time when the revolutionary
spirit, so long repressed by the strong
government of Diaz. might burst into life
again.
Reeves, on the other hand, would urge
that there was no prospect Of the peace
of Mexico being disturbed, and that the
problems with which the next President
would have to deal we're financial and COM
mercial ones Obviously. Limantour, a
fnancier with an international reputation,
would handle them better than he, mere
soldier. could.
Suddenly, for no apparent reason.
this self sacrificing friendship was broken.
Reeves and Limantour became bitter
enemies, political and personal
"They never met, except when obliged
to do so officially. and each man threw
himself heart and soul into the intrigues
of his own party. The break between
them surprised everybody, but the extraor-
binary part of it is that the cause Of the
quarrel has never been made public.
Nobody in Mexico knows what hap
pened to disturb their friendship, except
probably President Diaz. l have spoken
with some of the prominent men in both
parties. and they admit that they have not
been taken into the confidence OF their
leaders on that subject. And when they
have tried to find out they have been met
by polite rebuhs.
QUARREL for President Diaz has striven
in vain for over two years to heal it, and
when Diaz cannot do thing it must be
amazingly difficult to do.
1T has been known for long time that
he favored Limantour as his successor,
to hold Office for one Presidential term
and then to be succeeded by Reyes The
quarrel between the two men frustrated
this scheme, and has obliged Diaz to re-
main President much longer than he
wished"
Limantour has travelled widely in Europe
the United States and the East. He is
personally acquainted with mo onarchs, great
statesmen and prominent financiers in al
mos. all the capitals of the world.
an London, Paris, New York, Washing
ton, Berlin, st. Petersburg, Vienna and
Rome declared one of his friends. former
Lieutenant Colonel in the Mexican army,
"hes as much a. home as in the city Of
Mexico, and has just as many friends in,
high places. l doubt II there is another
man who knows as many kings and other
great people as he does, ,..
"They have an unbounded admiration