The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-02-18

Area. 7s7.Oo5 square miles; population, ls,6o5,919
 Mexico has twenty-seven states, three territories and federal district The latter corresponds to the District of Co., lumbs, the City of Mexico, the capital being situated within it.
 The form of government is republican, and is patterned much after that of the United States. It has a president a con- gress, consisting of senate and house os representatives, and a federal judiciary. There are ffty-six senators, two from each state. Senators and representatives get the same salary, 5000 year.
 Four years is the presidential term and a recent law makes the incumbent elig- ihle for reelection. The presidential sal ary is S5O,OoO a year
 Members of the presidents cabinet each receive a salary of S15,0O0 a year. The portfolios are: Secretary of foreign af- fairs, secretary of the interior, secretary of justice and public instruction, secre- tary of improvements, secretary of finance, secretary of war and navy, sec
  works and secretary of education.
 Gen. Porfiro Diaz has been president of Mexico since 1876, In order to hold office he set aside the constitution and wielded autocratic powers, but he labor ed single-mndedly for the peace and prosperity of Mexico, and finally won the confidence and affection of the whole people. It was in order that he might hold office legally that the constituG G6nal inhibition against a president succeeding himself was repealed.
 When Diaz became president trn real fly dictator), Mexico was much given 10 the favorite Latin-American pIstime of making war on whatever government hap pened to be in power. Its credit was at a low ebb, foreign creditors were clamor- ing for payment, and only the uphoding of the Monroe doctrine by the Washing ton government prevented the occupation by foreign powers Diaz put an end to revolutions, placed credit on a sound basis, made satisfactory arrangements with creditors. and secured foreign capi- tai for developing the country's re- sources by guaranteeing its protection
 Last year the federal revenues were in excess of Ss6.OO0,OOO and the disbursements about S7600O,000 leaving a surplus of about s10 000.O00 The imports are about 0,000000 and the exports about $1OO0OO'- GOO, leaving the balance of trade largely in favor of Mexico The national debt has been reduced to about $2S2 100000 of which about one-haf is payable in gold and the other half in silver.
 Mexicos internal Improvements. made entirely since Diaz came into power. con- sist of about 20000 miles of railroads, 45.000 miles of telegraph lines and more than 20O0 postoffces.
 Nineteen per cent of the Mexican popu- lation are pure white; forty-three per cent mixed, and thirty-elght per cent. Indian Only a small portion of the 1n- dian population may be regarded as civ ilzed.
 The City of Mexico has population of SA72l.
 The prevailing religion is Roman Cath olie but the church is independent of the state, and no ecclesiastical body is per mitted to acquire landed property. There are about 12 3SO.245 Roman Catholics, 40, AS Protestants and S972 Jews.
 Education is free and compulsory. Cen sus reports taken in 1895 showed that there were 10, 345,S99 inhabitants of Mexl- co who could neither read nor write, l.. TSP s92 who could read and write, and 92s sS6 who could only read Now there are s245 federal schools, of which 4Os4 are for boys. There are also flfty-one uni versailles and colleges, besides private schools and other educational institutions. Mexico has 279 newspapers of which seven are published in the English lan- guage
 
 800 infantry. 10000 cavalry and 60O0 artil- lery,
 Foreign investments in Mexican bank ing mining agricultural and other indus trial pursuits amount to 12.760,320 pounds sterling, and there are S0,115900 pounds sterling invested in the railways of the country most of which is American capi- tai.
 In the last 300 years Mexico has pro- duced more silver than any other country in the world the output for that period amounting to sS.o5O0OO.0OO
 Most of the silver exported is shipped in the shape of Mexican dollars which go to China and other Asiatic countries, in- cludng the Philippine islands
 Many women and children are employed in the Mexican mines.
 The national flag is displayed on the birthdays of the Kings of Spain, Ger many. Italy. Belgium and on Washing tons birthday; upon the anniversaries of the independence of the United States, Argentine Republic Colombia and Peru. It is also displayed upon the birthday of it's own President.
 The Roman Catholic church was found- ed in Mexico in 1517.
 4 great deal of poetic glamor, having a very small foundation of truth. has been woven into song and story regarding the ancient AZtecs of Mexico. The Az tees were a small band of northern In- dians who drifted into the valley of Mex leo, where harassed by the tribes already dwelling there. they took refuge in some islands in the lagoon of Mexico Strong ly intrenehed in this position, they turned upon their enemies and became the dom mating tribe. Then they formed a con- federacy with tribes known as Tezcueans and Tecauecans which ruled until Cortez conquered Mexico.
 At the time of the Spanish conquest the Mexican aborigines had so far advanced in civilization as to determine apparent motion in the sun and the length of the solar year; they knew the art of casting figures in gold and silver in one piece and could make filiagree ornaments with out soldering. They even understood the art of applying to pottery the transparent glazes such as are now used by makers