The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-10-22
GLAD HAND FOR EACH.
TAFT AND DIAZ SHAKE ON THE
BANKS OF RIO GRANDE.
President of United States and the
Head of Mexico Meet Today and
Exchange Greetings; Ceremonies
Carried Out in Ell Paso and in
Juarez; Bands Played, People
cheered; the Affair was a Success.

Ell Paso, .Tex.,- Oct l6.-Custom
rules and regulations :. were almost
nullifed and the line dividing the re-
publics of the, United States and Next
co vanished before the enthusiastic
hosts which crossed and recrossed the
Rio Grande today in the wake OF the
chief executives of the neighbOring
nations. Gringo and greaser mingled
amicably. and all was merry as a we'd
ding bell announcing the marriage of
once warning peoples. Even the Sons
and Daughters of the Texas Republic
forgot Santa Anna and the Alamo long
enough to. pay rousing tribute to the
gray and grizzled chief magistrate of
Mexico.
Long before the arrival of Mr.. Will
liam Howard Taft and Senior PorfiriO
Diaz, an unprecedented crowd had
gathered in FL Paso and Ciudad Juar-
ez They emptied from the incoming
trains like swarming locusts and filled
the streets, hotels and places of IL
quid resort. Swarthy Mexicans, proud
and naughty Spaniards, cowboys in
regulation attire and plain citizens
in store clothes rubbed elbows with
dark-eyed senoritas and Texas bellies
in. the gaily decorated street And
above and on all sides floated the
Stars and Stripes and the brilliant
banner of Mexico.
President Given an Ovation.
The arrival of President Taft's train
was the signal for an ovation that
found expression in shouts. of wei
come which spread in an increasing
volume of sound all over tie city
President Diaz was greeted in a man
ner no less hearty. Bands crashed a
noisy salute and the players were able
now and then to make themselves
heard above. the glad acclaim of the
populace. Troops saluted their conf
mander in chief, and thousands of
children joined i'll singing the national
anthems of the two republics.
After the separate receptions at Ell
Paso and Juarez, President Diaz cross
ed the bridge to pay the first call upon
President Taft. As the two chief eX-
ecutives clasped hands = for the first
time, the people almost went mad with
the excitement of the occasion. 1t was
an historic moment. when the aged but
soldierly chief magistrate of the Next
cans gave his hand into the hearty
clasp of the portly, representative of
Uncle Sam. 1,al,
1t was the first time in the history
of the United States and of Mexico
that the presidents of the two repub-
lies have exchanged greetings while
in office. After 1.-The formal greeting
President Taft WAS host to President
Diaz and to. the federal, state and
municipal officers who accompanied
him at banquet in the Chamber of
Commerce bnildingsa ~ .a
Reviewed a Gorgeous; Pageant.
The president and other distinguish
ed guests viewed u gorgeous pageant
which passed the reviewing stand at
twelve o'clock Bands and military of
both republics were at the head of the
parade. and these were followed by
civic and fraternal organizations of
both FL Paso and ,Juarez and by thou
sands of school children from the two
cities.
Prominent in the line of parade was
the Ohio society of FL Paso, with its
membership of 300, the members of
which wore buckeyes, as did President
Taft. $50
After the parade had passed, Presi-
dent TAFT. and presidential party will