The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-01-08

City of Mexico, Christmas, 1904.
 was present at the inauguration or President Diaz and had an opportunity of seeing the executive officers of the government, the Governors Of the States, and the members of Congress, both the Senate and the House. also the Judiciary of the highest court. I have seen the rulers and the law makers of very many countries, and l do not hesitate to say that those of Mexico compare most favorably with those of any country I have seen.
 was present at the great banquet given to President Diaz. and was at the reception rendered him by Sonora Presidente, and other official ladies. and 1t would be hard fully to express che charming beauty and grace of the Mexican ladies. whom I had the pleas ure of meeting at the magnificent as- eemblage. It was a spectacle to be long remembered.
 The highest class in Mexico have a culture and refinement which has come down to them from the grandees and nobility of Spain. They arc very highly educated and have travelled over much of the world. The etiquette or the ladies is very strict indeed; their manner is charming, and their grace conveys an idea of rythm and poetry. Until recently there was no such thing as a middle class in Mexico; those who did not belong to the aristocracy and ruling class were almost all laborers. In late years, what Is called middle class in America, is beg>:-ning to mani fest itself, but at present they are necessarily few in number and the poorer and laboring people from the greater part of the population, but this condition will become less marked in the near future. This country has everything to make it very great and prosperous, a fertile soil, delightful climate, and mineral wealth without, probably a parallel in the world.
 Mexico of today is very different from the Mexico of 1860. was in the country at that time, and therefore can speak of the changes from personal observation and experience.
 Progress by Astounding Leaps,
 The history of the world shows but few instances where nation has pro- gressed by such astounding leaps as that which has blessed Mexico during the past thirty years. It is not say ing too much to assert that this pro- gress is largely due to the foresight and wonderful executive ability of President Diaz. and I must also add that he has been assisted very largely by his almost angelically beautiful wife.
 The President has made a prosper ous and peaceful nation out of a coun- try which was almost continually dis turbed by revolutions, causing destruc- ton of property and making progress Impossible. Later in this article will give some figures which will show at glance the great change which Presi- dent Diaz has accomplished.
 While the President has been engag- ed in this work, his wife-the beautiful Sonora Presidente-has exercised her Influence in a most beneficent manner. Assisted by other Mexican ladies. she has built up charitable organizations. established hospitals and done much in aiding the President in introducing in- stitutions of learning, and in many other ways she has improved the con- dition of this country, so blessed by God in material advantages.
 The history of Mexico since the fall of Maximilian, is a matter with which the people of the. United States are very familiar. Railroads have been built, mines opened and institutions of almost every character established, but 1t is interesting to go back and look into the far-past of this remarkable country.
 When, what is now the United States, was a wilderness. inhabited by wild beasts and savage Indians, Mexi- co had achieved civilization almost. if not quite, equal to that of Asia and of India. Where the people came from to establish the civilization, it is im- possible to absolutely determine. The weight of evidence seems to indicate that they originally came from Japan or from China. In fact, the history of China, which is being prepared from ancient manuscript, shows that many hundred years before Christ, the Chi nese reached this continent by way of the Aleutian Islands, and that after wards they crossed the Pacific direct from China to some parts of California
 They must have travelled southward, and it seems more than probable that the Toltecs, who were known to be in Mexico about the year 64S. were orgi- nally inhabitants of China, or the ad- Jacent islands of Japan.
 Some twenty years ago a commits sioner was sent by the Japanese Gov ernment to investigate the people of Mexico. He made a thorough tour of the entire country, and into Zacatecas, which is near the center of Mexico where he found people with whom he could easily converse, their language being so similar to the Japanese that ltsmust beyond question have come from the Japanese language as it was centuries ago. A distinguished scien- tlfic woman is giving language careful investigation, and I am told that her study sustains this view. She Is ably assisted by the eminent and philan- thropic American. Mrs. Phoebe Hearst.
 Then we find the Chichimecs were In Mexico in the year 1170 A. D., the Nahauls in ITS and the AZtecs, or Acolhauns in 1196. There is no ques- ton but the Empire of Montezuma was in existence in 146O and was a strong government when Cortez, assisted by