The San Francisco call., 1909-02-25

Ramon Corral, who is important be-
cause he is vice president rather than
as minister of the interior. He is the
agreeable good fellow, one of many
men of a type of negative ability in
Mexico, whom Don Porfrio was sup
posed to be training to take his place
at the end of the present term. The
nature of the training is somewhat
obscure.
NINE. DIAZ A FACTOR
There is an ex-officio member of the
cabinet, perhaps the most important of
all. The gossip of the capital always
speaks of Nine. Diaz as "Carmelita."
What is Carmelita's .view?" ask the
courtiers. She is the young wife.
daughter of an old Spanish family,
some 80 years the presidents junior,
of quite a different type from the first
Nine. Diaz.
But for her training they say that
the uncouth captain of militia would
never have developed the grand dignity
and fine manners which are essential
in a Spanish speaking country. The
softening of Don Porfirio's attitude
toward the church is due to madame,
am told. She is devout church
woman. If a raid of any new brother
hood or sisterhood is planned the
monks or the MUS concerned usually
receive warning in time to depart.
When Don Porfirio proposed to re-
tire five years ago Nine. Limantour was
confident enough of her husbands
chances to tell some friends one after
noon that soon they should have tea
with her at Chapultepec. Some busy
tongue carried the news to 'Carme-
lita,' who sent for one of the presi
dents oldest friends, a general who
had fought by his side. and said:
Don't let up on Porfirio until he
promises to stay"
That at least is the story. Don Por
drio has been about to retire almost
as many times as Bernhardt. In 1904
the length of the presidents term was
changed to six years and this pres
/ ent one, ending November 80, 1910, was
1 TO be quite his last. The far seeing
well wishers for Mexico. hoped that it
would be in fact. They wanted to see
a successor established under a wing
of his prestige while his advice was
within call
But the men who desire this would
never say so to his face or publicly.
No newspaper advocates the idea. From
the country rises the call for him to re-
main in office. voiced by all the foreign
1 capitalists, by his office holders and by
1 business and political optimism. So
! history repeats itself even to the part
I he plays, for he does not silence the
] speakers. In answer to his countrys
]
sions, he has decided to reconsider and
/ accept a reelection.
DIAZ HIS OWN CRITIC
No statesman in the world has re-
ceived so much fattery. The only
/ criticism he knows is that of self. No
country has had busier press agents
than this, where foreign capital has
| so much at stake. Favors as well as
l.pay await the writer who comes to
boom Mexico. On my way down l
bought a book called Mexico of the
Twentieth Century, and in 1t 1 read
that. although Diaz. had often been
compared to Washington and Lincoln,
he was undoubtedly greater than
either.
The authors eulogies know no limit.
He is a type of the paid write up"
English journalist. and the mining
| companies did exceedingly well by him.
The day after 1 arrived 1 found in my
box at the hotel an inspired biography
of Diaz, containing a list with photo
graphs of all the decorations he has
| received from foreign nations. This
was not the custom of Washington and
Lincoln.
1t would be surprising if the. presi-
dents vanity did not increase with
age Once you have been to Chapulte-
pee il is easy to understand why Don
Porfrio can not bring himself at IS to
leave the castle he has occupied for
nearly 80 years. OF all official resi-
dences in either hemisphere it is the
most picturesquely situated.
The location must give an occupant
! the intoxication of power. 1t towers
over its surroundings as Diaz towers
| over all the other statesmen of Mex
ico On that rock where Montezuma
ruled. which Scotts veterans stormed,
/ are the presidents summer residence
and the Mexican West Point-the man
I and the arms. From the long colon
made you look across the city, well
paved, well policed, made modern in
Diaz' time, toward Popocatapetl in it's
splendor and majesty
HAS TIME FOR VISITORS
In the well arranged day of the
president there is always time for for
| eign visitors. Men are the documents
of administration in his personal rule.
If you wish a quoted interview with
him you must submit your list of ques-
tions to the foreign office, and when
he and Senior Mariscal are through with
! them there is a lot of commonplace an
swers which throw no new light on
his administration or on the eternal
question of what will happen after his
death
Mr.. Roosevelt or Mr.. Taft would re-
| ceive a score of callers while Diaz is
receiving one. Spanish formalfty has
/ developed into a custom which is not
royal but is much nearer it than that
! Of the White House, where you go
into the presidents office by appoint
ment or take your turn in line in the
cabinet room. At Chapultepec you wait
in a Macmillan chair in Macmillan
antechamber while you chat with the
pattern plate young aid, who is suave
politeness and. fear. in the fit of his
uniform makes our White House aids
appear -frowsy and abrupt. For he is
European-Spanish courtesy plus Ger
man training.
When your turn comes he heads the
way TO the big salon, a door opens and
the most absolute ruler in christendom
4 comes forward with step as light as
Admiral Dewey's. He is as erect as
one of his cadets. his head borne well
back, with that leonine expression Of
the portrait which is the favorite Of
his people. Don Porfirio is about the
I height of the admiral, with the same
sweeping white mustache and dignity
/ which is something more than Cas-
tiiian-possibly- Indian.
There is none of that disappointment