The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-10-17
FRIENDSHIP OF NATIONS
IS STRONGLY CEMENTED
After the Public Meeting the Two
Presidents Retire to Private
Room and Have Talk That
Is Not Made Public.
RY WILLIAM HosTER.

RI Paso. Tex, October 16.-(Speoial-)-
with boast OF heraldry and pomp or
power Taft and Diaz. presidents of the
great sister republics. clasped hands here
today in formal acknowledgment OF the
firm friendship existing between the gov
ernInents of the two nations.
Cannon roared tho fraternal greetings
across the international boundary line and
back; whistles shrieked. bells rang; lOo'-
600 voices acclaimed the mighty helms
men Of the ships of state, and aA the
world was there to see.
Glittering pageants. sumptuous feasts ar
state ceremonials and the care-abandoned
demonstrations of the multitude followed
in quick succession throughout the day.
The red. white and green of Mexico, in
tertwined with the flag of the United
States met the eye on every side Mill
tarv bands blared in unison La Paloma'
the Mexican national anthem, and our
own -Spangied Banner
EI Paso was on dress parade, Ciudad
lauren en- fete, and both in an uproar.
Historic Occasion.
IF history takes note of 1t all the
occasion will rank with those OF the
meetings with sovereigns In the older
world at which treaties are made al
liances brought about and the peace ana
progress of nations conserved and pro-
NOTED.
There were two formal meetings be-
tween the central figures at this interna-
tional drama but springing around these
were two intimate conferences from wnicn
the werld was barred and Taft ana Dla2
met face TO face behind the drawn cur
+asns ~ convention Commonpaces were
excI1anxed IN the formal greetings AT
whtc tho elect were present. Colil-
rnonn.acz toasts were exchanged tonlsht
at the regal banquet in Ciudad Jauren
toasts written for the two presidents py
their diplomatic masters In washington
and Mexico City
Private Conference.
But aside from these. Taft met Dlaz
r,,jx,atelv In an anteroom at the cham
be,. of commerce in El Paso wnen Di''n
called to pay his respects this morning
and again when Taft returned tne can
on hour later, he and the ruler of Mexico
a,a+ nrivatelv in a room at the Juarez
custom house and what transpred at
these two secret conferences the unfold
ino- Of events of time alone will disclose
at the BANQUET tonight the two Pres
,dents shook hands finally amid a vol
lev of cheers that echoed across tne
muddy Rio Grande, and so they par.eu'
Taft on his special train Tor san An
tonic; Diaz on his train Tor the .i'S
of Mexico. 4,a
pult;tude chirned In with their cheers
As a spectacle it was superb. AS a
stroke of diplomatic policy It was masnll-
ice,t Somewhere between the TWO
there must be advantage for the two
nations who afforded the background Tor
today's festival.
The Darker Side.
with the glory of It all there was q
dar,rer side seen only by the few, that
cannot be entirely dismissed from the
picture. a. .
ri Paso swarmed today with secret
no,ica. The chief OF the United states
secret service was here in person with
a score of picked men from ms toree'
And from across the border IN Mexico
there came another horde OF secret
agents, all of them charged WIN the
qua rsianship of those In whose honor
tup,,lt,lous pIaudits echoed on both sides
OF the Rio Grande One could not carry
"a photograph camera without permit.
Umbrellas were barred from the streets
along which the mighty passed me
roofs of all buildings were kept free from
spectators Badges. carefully nufnpered'
tickets issued only to those fully ldenn-
fed kept outside the lines all whose
business was not accurately ascertained
ana for the rest, along every ten feet
OF ground over which the pageant of
the Presidents passed, were three armed
troopers bound to strict adherence TO
the orders of their superior officer
There we're no fears for Taft. But
for Diaz there was grave concern. Ihat
this old man, proudly bearing the weisht
of almost so years, hero or score OF
wars, that this white-haired, white-mous-
tached, stockily built, stately old man
ettired in a Jewel bedecked uniform
might be saved from the assassin's hands
I'll Paso and Juarez were as well pro-
tectef at st. Petersburg for visit from
tho Car.
Nothing happened. Two days ago. 1t
is true the secret agents of the gov
ernu1ent located In n stable two bomhs
of modern build which they confiscated
Boy Is Killed.
But one incident marred the splendor
OF the day and it came with dramatic
timeliness just as President Tafts train
came to halt at the station at Ell
paso. Non Morgan and Lawrence
Wirnber 15-year-old school boys Of the
city. waiting 10 pihy Llcli pait Al eie
welcome to President Taft, fell into q
dispute over flag, and whipping out a
knife, Morgan plunged 1t into his friend.
Cheers for Taft were ringing over the
plaza as Wimber fell dying, The body
was hastily drawn beyond the line, the
President unconsclously passing the
place at a distance of only a few feet,
md as the school children all around
waved their flags and lifted their
voices In the chorus of America" Law
renee Wimber's dead body lay In the
plaza ignored and neglected. Morgan
was carried TO the lookup and tho
pageant OF the Presidents went on.
The Neutral Zone.
Both Presidents passed today through
the Camizal zone, which for the day
the United States and Mexican gov
srnments agreed to regard as neutral.