Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1909-1915, 1910-05-20

,noramous, because the Mexican could
not talk English. i It is because Of this
,unwillingness on the part Of some
Americans zl to adapt themselves to the
people. and customs Of the country,
that that American business has not made
the progress in some lines that Ger
man, English and French business
have Perhaps the inferiority of the
American Consular service compared
with the" English and German, is re-
sponsible for a portion of this. How
ever this lis being rapidly done away
with. The American in Mexico is wax,
Ing up to the fact that he must meet
conditions as they are. Thousands Of
Americans are pouring into the repub-
lie, millions Of American money are
being invested and Americans on all
sides are receiving a cordial welcome
from the Mexican government and peo-
pie. Today would seem to be the day
of the American In Mexico.
= What seemed at one time to be the
fore-runner of serious hostility to the
United States has now completely
subsided. This feeling was caused by
the publication Of certain articles en-
titled "Barbarious Mexico" and reused
the enmity of the unthinking against
all things American. But today the
Mexicans know that the United States
is their best friend both politically and
commercially and the feeling of hostih-
ty is dieing out completely. Undoubt-
edly most readers of the Inter-Ocean
have read or hear Of the articles
"Barbarous Mexico" The chief charge
contained in these is slavery or peon-
age on the big estates Of the wealthy
land owners of Mexico. It Is claimed
that by a system of; stores at which the
peon must purchase everything and at
which he is kept in debt continually
ito his employer, he is virtually in a
condition of servitude being unable to
leave the estate without working out
his debt. The writer was greatly in
terested in this question having read
the articles in the American Magazine
and in other publications. The opinion
formed from two months travelling
through northern and north central
on trains, stage coaches, boats,
land a greater part of, the time on mule
back. was that In that section of the
country no; peonage existed. In that
time the writer never came upon a
case which could be called an approach
toward peonage, and She spent many
days among the poems, talked with
them, ate with them, watched them at
work, in their dealings with their en-
ployees, and made many friends among
them, who talked freely of conditions
in the republic. Also the writer talked
with Americans who had visited every
corner of the republic, lived for years
In Mexico and spoke the language like
ucL1yto. 1uCll uu1lp LII oPAAAOA was
that some peonage existed in the more
southern sections of the country; but
stated that it was neither more nor
less than what existed in many parts
Of Alabama, Georgia and other south
ern states. All agreed that it was
practically unknown in northern and
central Mexico. r. ''s'
When one sees the splendid cities,
great i industries, modern improve
ments, churchs, schools and other in
stitutions of the republic, the conclus-
ion is forced home that there are pow
erful4 influences at work among the
Mexican people to right what wrongs
there are, that the. struggle in this
country against ignorance, vice and po-
litical dishonesty, is duplicated in the
sister republic of the south. One can
not come to know the Mexicans with
out feeling that they are bound to work
out successfully the problems which
confront them, whether they are prob.
lens of politics, busine, or religion
Continued Next Weekly IT, .c ]55 #;5
- - 10 $1,000 -.
~ s.