The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1909-10-16
An American "Field of the
Cloth Of Gold" in splendor
and Pomp
EACH EXECUTIVE VISITED ON
SOIL OF The OTHERS NATION
Mexican President Called Upon Taft
ut Ell Paso and Latter Returned the
Call at Cinded Jaurez-Meeting
Took Place Behind Closed Doors.

Ell Paso, Tex, Oct. 16.-With can
non roaring sequence to the salute,
with soldiers everywhere and pomp
of ceremony seldom, if ever, before
witnessed in this country, President
Taft of the United States and Porfirio
Diaz, who for years has ruled over
the destinies of Mexico as president
OF that great southern republic, met
here today and exchanged formal
greetings of good will and friendship.
The meeting took place behind
closed doors in the rooms of the
chamber of commerce building and
only two assistant secretaries to
President Taft were present to report
the addresses of executives.
After having. received President
Diaz on American soil, President Taft
himself crossed the International bor-
der line and returned the call of
President Diaz at the customs house
in the quaint little city of Guided
Juarez. Again the two presidents
were closeted for a few minutes and
then President Diaz repaid the hos
pital courtesies which had been ex-
tended to him while he was the guest
of the American people. IT.
President Taft returned to the
United States to review the military
parade In" this city this afternoon
Tonight, however, he will cross into
Mexico territory for second time to
JaureZ.
On Historic Ground.
This is the second time in history
that Ciudad Juarez has been the
temporary capital of the republic
of Mexico. but under widely different
circumstances.
In 1866 when Bonito Juarez, consti-
tutional president of Mexico, was
driven in defeat before the troops Of
Maximillian, self-appointed emperor of
the Mexican people, he took refuge
and established his capital in the
little city that lies across the inter-
national boundary stream from Ell
Paso. For almost a year, surrounded
by a small band of half starved. poor
ly clad and ALMOST defenseless patriot
soldiers, the president of the Mexican
republic waited and hoped and watch
ed for the aid that he expected from
the United States; there. after weary
waiting, he finally rallied his forces
and set out on the return march to
the City of Mexico that finally re-
suited in a brilliant victory at Quar-
ataro over the emperor and his for
eign troops; the execution of the en-
peror and the reestablishment of the
Mexican republic.
There was no preparation for the
coming of the first president who
made Ciudad Juarez the temporary
capital of Mexico; unheralded and
heartsore from his long journey and
frequent defeats, Bonito Juarez rode
into the little adobe village that Was
then known as Paso del Nerto, on a
mule. Through its narrow. dusty
streets, between low mud houses, the
patriot president rode in silence. Few
If any recognized him when he rode
into the little city and settled down
on Plaza Guadalupe Hidalgo in the
shadow of the ancient church of the
Guadalupe, in a long, low adobe house,
to establish the capital of what was
left of the Mexican republic.
Different Today.
Il Is different today. For months
the preparations have been IN prog
ress for the coming of President
Diaz. Troops have been arriving daily
for weeks to police the city and serve
as a proper military escort for the
president and his distinguished guest.
the president of the United States.
Emissaries have been arriving from
City of Mexico to complete every de-
tail for the comfort of the president.
Architects, decorators, florists. cooks
of reputation, and secret service men
have thronged the little city for weeks
and days; $4,000 alone has been
spent rebuilding the Juarez custom
house as reception room and ban
ouet hall for the meeting of the two
presidents; a large sum was spent
in the erection of the Grecian col
umns down the side of the streets
that the two presidents were to
traverse; streets were paved. side
walks were laid and finally seven
florists from the City of Mexico using
ND a carload of flowers, put on the
last decorations a few minutes be-
So,a <ho nroeidonfia1 Hnecial train