The border vidette., 1911-04-29
MEXICO.
Some of the Reasons Why That
 Country Is of Interest.

There are reasons why Mexico has wide geographical interest for other continents. It's lOngi- tude covers almost as many de. grees as that of the United States. From it's northwestern corner adjoining California, Mex ico stretches as far east as the meridian of Atlanta and Pen sacola. Its narrowing strip is the approach to the isthmian territory between North and South America. The Mexican coast line on the two great >oceans is remarkable because it is doubled on one side by the inland Gulf of California, and on the other by the deep concavity of the Gulf of Mexico. This coast line in all is not much leSs than COCO miles long. In the southern locality of Tehuan- tepec, Mexico is but 140 miles long, and canal, to include the large river Coatza cCala, was planned nearly a century ago. Up to 1870 nineteen different routes had been proposed for an isthmian waterway. Among those who wrote on this subject were Jefferson, Pitt, Humboldt, Louis Philippe, Louis Naro. leon, Plus Ninth, Everett, Marcy, Webster and Clay. Numerous canal treaties and concessions were made by Mexico and Gen. tral American states to foreign governments, and were cleared away in comparatively recent years.
 The eyes of Europe were on Mexico for 100 years. It's geo. graphical and commercial inn pOrtance has been thoroughly understood in the Old World. Mexico extends from the 3Oth to the 18th degrees of north lat itude, with a length of 2,OOO miles and an extreme. breadth of I, ICo. It's area Is loss fRan three times that of Texas. but it's varying attitudes embrace all climates and productions of the tropics and temperate zone. In mining it's riches have been known fOr centuries, and yet their main development is yet to come. Territorially, Mexico is ten times the Size of Great Britain. and is as large as France, Spain and Austria com bined. It's tropical coast is backed by the highland and ~tem- perate table lands, while peaks of perpetual snow are not lack ing In this different elevations are streams fed by eXhaustless moisture, and the fertility of the soil has never been seriously impaired. More than half of Mexico is in the temperate zone. Its physical geography has made the country one of the most marked on the globe. These facts were impressed upon Eu- rope early in the sixteenth cen- tury It is fortunate that nOth- ing monarchial fingers there, when so long an effort was made to transplant royalty to this rare region.
 Mexico was land no less appreciated in prehistoric times. It's early civilizations wore the most advanced on the continent. The Aztecs and the ToltecS whom they overpowered both had past of social life far in advance of savagery, and a store of know ledge reaced at that time in few places on the earth. But Mexico has always been land of troub- led government. It is today in state of serious political agita- tiOn, if not convulsion. But the country in geography, relatively to the rest of the world, is al- ways to be considered, and must necessarily be to the United States, one of the paramount continental issues. What 0 tranquil and intelligently gov erned Mexico could become is beyond the range of optimistic conjecture. It is impossible for the United States to treat the future of Mexico with indiffer- ence. or to keep away from the border as q place of ob :crvat:on and intimate communication.
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