The Washington herald., 1908-04-05


Mexico's place among the industrial ma
tons of the modern world is one which
does great credit to her statesmen and
men of affairs. The natural resources Of
the country are in many respects the
greatest in the world. and for the past
thirty years Mexico has been forging
ahead industrially and commercially at "a
pace only excelled by the virile and pro-
gressive neighbor TO the north.
The Washington Herald is enabled.
through the Bureau of American Re
publics, to present a sketch of this de-
velopment which shows how Mexico has
made progress by great strides until it
occupies a place in the forefront Of the
rapidly developing nations of the Western
World The following article on Mexico
was prepared under the supervision of
John Barrett. director OF the bureau:
Third Among Republics.
Mexico. after all. is only the third larg-
est Latin-American republic. both Brazil
and Argentina surprising her in size.
Mexico is not quite one-fOurth our size.
but Americans are apt TO think OF her as
huge, because she lies so close 10 us, and
8 because we have invested in her so much
good American money. We have contrib
uted SS00,e60000 TO bring Mexico into the
deserved prosperity of to-day, yet even
this is small in comparison 20 the $3,G0o,-
000Ooo Of British gold in the Argentine.
But Mexico is big also IN that sense. Of
the word which is to mark America of
the twentieth century. She has reached
the adult stage of civilization and indus
trial life. and many Of the problems con
fronting every Industrial. producing coun-
try have been met even more successfully
there than with Us.
In 1851 the first railroad was chartered.
and then Mexico awoke. The French
fasco was only a crisis i'm the change,
and since that date. everT step has been
one of progress TO modernization. In
1880 the republic was practically hank
r1pt bonds went begging ana the silver
dollar weighted the nation apparently out
of reach Of the gold standard. Now this
has all been changed; the gold is the ma
tional unit. she can. AT any moment. rs
she did in 1904. float Ioan at per cent
with the brokers of the Old World glad
Of the chance to take it. and she has
mounted to that fortunate condition
where an immense crop of anything is
produced and sold in the market before
it Is picked.
This Proved In 1905.
This was the case Of the cotton crop
in 1896. 1t amounted to 105.00O bales. II
was all consumed within the country;
merchants had empty warehouses, ana
some of it went abroad in export, so good
was the quality. Importations had not
ceased. because the habit of more than
generation could not easily be shaken. but
the importation from the United states
declined. and from now on 1t Is seriously
threatened by the iIimitable possibilities
of this neighbor of ours. Acre for acre
il Is probable that Mexico can grow as
much cotton as we can. The Laguna dis
trict which twenty years ago was moth
ing but a railroad crossing, has become
a populous center of industry. Here are
cotton factories supplying cloth which
finds ready purchasers within small
radius But there are other cotton areas
and other factories besides those around
TorreOn. All told. Mexico has l25 cotton
factories ara every year the product Of
the looms IS becoming better and better.
Prizes for Mexican cloth have been given
in Paris, Buffalo, and 81. Louis.
Factories Run by Electricity.
Most of these factories as we'll as
scores of others producing goods of other
products, are run by electricity. One fac
tory draws the current from water power
1n miles away. But in the industrial
sense Mexico is new, and has jumped
from hand or domestic labor TO the most
modern and economic installation Of ma
ohlnery There is one federal district,
twenty-seven states. and three territories.
From the City Of Mexico the capital OF
the republic, to tiny Tepie, the far-awsy
capital Of this Western territory. the
means Of illumination is electricity Every
city has electric light nearly every city
has electric traction, and It will not be
long before telephones VIII be as general
10 the peon as is now his beloved cotton
trousers.
All these Improvements and advances.
however, are connected with private own
ership. or are, at least. due to private
initiative subject to the regulations under
which concessions are obtained. The
government has its national telegraph
and is itself using the telephone for its
own service. but where government initi-
ative seems necessary. MexicO-that is.
the brainy men at the head OF the re-
public-are all that statesmen could be,
in patriotism and clearsightedness.
Government Aids the Harbors.
Take the harbor Improvements. for ex-
ample Quietly but persistentIy the fed
eral government has undertaken such
work as did not fall exactly into the cafe
cory Of commercial opportunity. The
harber at Vera Cruz has been made more
fit for modern vessels at a cost of $i0.
e oo0.00e Tampico, farther north scarcely
a village a generation ago, has become
one OF the best and most important sea
ports on the Atlantic side. by government
energy, so that large steamers from all
over the world are making TampicO q
port of regular call.
on the Pacific side, TopoIobampo. Man
zanilo. and San Bias are receiving atten-
tion, but perhaps the most noticeable
step in this direction taken By Mexico
has been the improvements in the har-
bors of Salina Cruz on the Pacific and
CoatzacOalcos puerto Mexico) on the
Gulf (AtIantc), At cost OF $50 900 000.
and the establishment Of ran connection
between them. which Is now called the
Tehuantepec Railway.
This splendid work was completed and
opened 10 public use on January .. 1907.
These ports and this railroad are as mod
ern as science and engineering skill can