The National tribune., 1910-12-01

they could control. The French and
clercals drove Juarez clear up to the
| Mexican border. where he maintained
himself on the Mexican side of the riv-
| er at Ell Paso. The United States Gov
ernment had at first pretended indif-
| ference, as this was in the beginning of
the war Of secession, but rs the Union
armies gained success our State De-
partTnent assumed a stronger tone. We
kept a Minister constantly with JuareZ.
and towards the end Of our war began
giving him quiet but substantial assist
| ance. After Appomattox the temper of
the country was such that our State
Department began g. strong pressure
upon Napoleon to withdraw his troops.
This pressure increased until on May
81, 1865, Macmillan was notified that
the French army would be withdrawn.
Maximilian, who was one of the notable
Idiot Archdukes of Austria at first
decided to abdicate, then recanted and
vacillated so much that he rapidly lost
strength. JuareZ. instigated by the
Americans. assumed the aggressive, re-
captured Mexico City and drove Maxi
milan to Queretaro. where he was
surrounded, forced to surrender and
subsequently shot.
Reorganization of the Republic.
After four years absence and the
vicissltddes of a desperate struggle,
Juarez entered the city of Mexico July
Is. 1867. and began to reorganize the
Republic. He held the position until
his death in 1872. Lerdo de Tejada
became his successor, but his adminis-
tration WAS not satisfactory to those
who had fought for independence. \
revolt against him was led by Por-
firio Diaz, who had made the highest
reputation Of any of the Mexican Gen
erals. Tejada was overthrown and sue
ceeded by Diaz, who held the Presi-
dency until the end of his constitutional
term. when he succeeded in having
elected as his successor his friend, Gen.
Manuel Gonzalez Gonzalez did not
come up to Diaz's ideas in wisdom and
efficiency, and in 1884 he had himself
reelected, and has continued to hold
the Office ever since. repressing with a
strong hand all attempts to overthrow
him. DiaZ, in spite of his autocracy
at home, showed himself a wise des-
pot and opened up Mexico to develop
ment by foreign capital and enterprise.
He invited Americans and others to
build railroads, which generally be-
came the property of the State and
were efficient means for suppressing
outbreaks by the facility with which
they could throw troops in to over
whelm the insurgents. As a result of
Diaz's policy, railroads now reach every
part Of the country and diminish great
ly the possibility of an insurgent
chieftain maintaining himself on ac-
count of lis remoteness from the CEN
ter. The greatest encouragement has
been given to the working of mines
and the development of manufactures,
and these have succeeded wonderfully
under the regime of peace and security
which Dlaz's strong hand has secured.
The wasted towns have been rebuilt
OF tIx-
and greatest of all these improvements
was the completion of canal for drain
ing the city. which had been first
planned by the Viceroy Velasco in the
10th century. Mexico City stands in
an immense basin, almost circular. and
completely encircled by high mountains.
The waters which fall on these noun
tains and in the basin collect in six
lakes, and when the rainfall Is at all |
heavy the city of Mexico is flooded. |
The lack Of drainage also caused a |
higher rate of mortality than any other |
city In the civilized world. Sometimes |
the streets were covered with water
for weeks. and in 1929, 10000 people
were drowned by the sudden rise of
the waters. There had been spasmodic
efforts on tunnel thru the mountains
TO drain the valley, but the money an
propriated was mostly seized bv the
men who got the jobs, until the Cow
ernment of Diaz took up the enterprise. |
The tunnel is one of the greatest en-
gfneerlns achievements OF modern
times. and when the sewerage system
IS completed 1t will have cost $50. 900
700. Sewers carry the waste of the |
city to canal, which, after draining
several Of the lakes and receiving the
sewerage Of the towns, empties into a |
tunnel thru the mountains S2.SG9 feet
long, which carries the sewerage to a !
river. Whancp If s
Mexico. Since the completion of this
tunnei. Mexico City has become one of
me healthiest cities in the world, with
the death rate dropping from 40 per
LOCO per annum to about Is.
Area, Population. Etc.
Mexico has an rea of 766.997 SQUARE
miles. or about equal to that of the So.
called Southern Confederacy. Owing
20 the peace that Diaz has maintained
ror the last 80 years, the population