Los Angeles herald., 1908-06-28
NOT MERE RIOTS
BUT REVOLUTION
MEXICAN LEADER IN Los AN
GELES JAIL TALKS
SAYS covERNM EMIT WILL FALL
UNLESS COURAGE FAILS
Local Writer Gives Vivid Description
Of Conditions and Declares DIax'
Army Is Already In
Revolt

That the recent disturbances at vi
esca and Las vacas. Mexico, were not
riots but the beginning OF revolution
that will shortly sweep over all Mexico
and result In the downfall OF the Diaz
administration. was the statement
made yesterday by Ricardo Flores Ma
gon, president of the Mexican Junta,
who is in the Los.Angeles county jail,
charged with organized and armed re-
fbellion."
III 1T is a revolution, and I and my
associates are responsible" said the
liberal leader. II have looked forward
to this day for the past three years.
for believe that at last the revolution
is at hand. On the 18th of May we
issued manifesto which was sent to
the remotest parts of the country. 1t
was our plan to take UP arms July 20.
but our letters of instruction read that
Ii any of our men shall be betrayed the
revolution shall begin at once.
If those who are In the revolt now
can keep their courage for three months
and continue the fight, the government
will. fell. One difficulty we have to con-
tend with is the poor means of COM
inunication. I am only sorry that in
part In it,
With Magon In the Jail are Librado
Rivera, known as the first Speaker of
the junta, and Antonio /. Villareal. the
secretary. They all await the action of
the supreme court on proceedings begun
to prevent their extradition to Arizona
for trial. Although they have been In
jail many months, It Is said they have
used the Jail as their headquarters and
conducted the business of the juIita
from there.
Juan Sarabia. vice president Of the
junta, Is in San Juan de Ulua, the gov
eminent prison at the port Of Vera
Cruz.
It Ia said that Magon Is one OF the
best known men In Mexico, and that he
Is looked upon by the poems as their
liberntor. He was instrumental In or
ganizing the Liberal party in 1900. One
hundred and fifty clubs were. started.
and nearly 100 liberal newspapers. and
O congress was held. About four years
ago the government began to break up
the clubs and put the leaders in Jail.
Magon was then editor Of paper In
tho City of Mexico. BY a decision OF
the supreme court of Mexico the circu-
iation Of his writings was made
crime. He then went to San Antonio,
Texas and from there to St. Louis. He
was constantly followed by agents OF
the government. An attempt was made
on his brothers life at this time.
Two years ago Magon and his associ-
ates planned q revolution. 1t was to
have occurred October 20. 1t Is said
that a captain of infantry stationed at
Juarez betrayed the plot, which resulted
in the arrest Of the leaders all over
Mexico. There were only two revolts,
in one Of which the town Of Jiminez
was captured by the insurgents. Ma
gon hid in the mountains about Ell Paso
and then came to Los Angeles. He and
his allies were arrested last september,
charged with organizing rebellion.
which is a violation of the neutrality
laws.
A vivid recital of present conditions
In Mexico, which are responsible Tor
the outbreak, was given yesterday by
John Murray of the Western Press
syndicate, who has just returned from
a trip through Central Mexico. taken
with the purpose of getting into COM
munication with the revolutionists ana
learning their intentions. Mr.. Murray,
who Is in the confidence of the junta
here, took with him letter from Ma
gon to the local Liberal leaders OF the
different states, He said:
1.-THE Los Angeles Jail Is really the
} headquarters Of the revolutionary par
ty. The leaders can conduct their busi-
ness there without fear of interruption.
They are allowed to see their friends
and send out instructions.
sSix weeks ago I went to Mexico to
investigate the revolution. found the
army In revolt, and that means the END
of the government. The pay in the
army is IL cents a day, while the ru-
rales and gendarmes get dollar. IN
the Vale Nacional, the great tobacco
district. I saw q ranch owner shoot
down ave poems. He got three days IN
iail for It. I have collected statistics
from the police department TO snow
that there is more poverty In the City
OF Mexico than In any other city In the
world. While peonage is prohibited by
law, found 1t everywhere. The condi-
tions of the prisons which I saw are
beyond description. These are the real
at know for certainty that twenty
men have gone from Los Angeles to
! take charge of the revolts In as many
districts. / have the names of some or
them. one was sent to the Yaquis, who
will take part when ordered.