The sun., 1910-11-20
!HENICO.
aemiaisrsaees aaa nsssset lon. b, Cs~'-
DefeNt sbNaerSer.

To rBE Enron oF TnT srN-si,: FROM
, personal experience I am able 10 eertny
/ to the accuracy oI the view sst forth In MI
AItschul's .etter. published in THr suS OF
November Is \ yisitsd Mexico IN iS3.
in isso in 1887 and isss. I'm every one
of these occasions ! encountered the same
, phenomena OF American boorishne-s ana
o~tentatious condescen sion. Except in
rsrs instances they regarded tho Nexicans
"a inferior persons. with Low tastes anu
instincts and toos no trouble 70 conceai
their opinion. Most OF them were trying
To veil gold bricks to the Mexican GoveEn-
meat. and thess were especially bitter on
account OF failure. and both their atti'ude
toward the people OF Mexico and their
recorded utterances when they returned
To the States" were calculated to ian the
flame kindled by original misindcrsiand'ng
Iend carefully educated prsindice.
N was my fortune to visit Mexico under
native auspices and to spend my time WITH
Mexicans. In this way came TO know
the Escsndons. the Bsrron-. tho MeNias'
the Martinez del Rio. the Rubins. the Cana
chos the Romero Rubios, tho Escobedos
and many Other families. I visited their
homes. enjoyed their Inequalities. and saw
them al the opera. at ths Jockey club. In
their Sunday social GATHERINGS. at the
pavilion. In the Alameda and their drives on
the Paseo do Ia Reforina. and a more cditi-
waited. charming and delightful people !
have never met In any part of the world
Their customs diner from ours. whether
IL 10 a climatic or q racial matter l do not
know. but I remember very we'll that |
undertook to transplant my whisksy drink
ing habit from New Orleans to the Mexican
plateau +oO feet elevation-add l re-
member with equal distinctness that within
a week or 50 I had TO abandon the habit
and live as the MeNicans did. practically
without alcohol. This I did very prospsr-
ously. to the great eass Of nay liver and the
visible Improvement OF a degenerate com
plexion. when first heard from its secre-
tary that the Jockey club. with tcO or joo
members had sold only so worth OF whiskey
during the preceding month was amazed
When I consulted my own experience |
under stood
MeNicans have their own civilization
Just as do and as II Is their land where
they live and were born Snd have inherited
the traditions OF their ancestors, IL may he
that they understand the situation better
than do a lot Of foreign specuiators, VINO
have camped in the capital temporarily and
are ex plotting their own views OF life.
In 1880 ! met General Grant and General
Phil sheridan at the Mexican capital. and
vas present with them on the plain OF
Guadalupe when the Sixth Corps OF the
Ruralss was msnpuvred for their enter
tainment. 4 few years aftervard in Wash
ington. when there was q war excitement
such as nov prevails and when gifted civil
ians were vaporing about an invasion OF
Mexico and the capture OF the capital. the
old war horse turned to pink checked
avengrr and asked how many troops h .
would wan, TO march TO the city of Mexico.
The young man said about 10. ONo. " whereupon
General sheridan said: You may know
some new secrets OF war. bat for my part
should ask for 80. go. andLls could officer
the Mexican army I should want - many
more
OF course there 10 really no question Of
war with Mexico. The mere idea - ridicu-
lOus. All the same, these misunderssand- .
ings and explosions have for their basis the
same preposterous misronception. the same
stupid confusion OF perspective. | quite
aRre. with Mr.. Altschul that the pcriious
nonsense ought TO be checked. T. ".
wAsHINOToN. ID. e. November 10