The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-04-02
Mexican President Sends a Notable Message to
 Congress
IMPORTANT REFORMS
 PROMISED PEOPLE
Diaz Says He Notified Uncle Sam of Smuggling Across Texas Border and United States Troop
 Movement Resulted

1 Mexico City, April l.-Committing him self to the advocacy of many of the re- forms demanded by the revolutionists, although professedly lowing only to the
 influence of public opinion, General Diaz answered his critics through his semi annual message at the opening today of the national congress.
 The principle Of no reelection of the chief executive and incumbents of other | elective offices and the reform of the electoral laws so that the privilege of the ballot may be enjoyed by those citi- zens "who are considered capable of voting were advocated.
 The message refers specifically to the application of the no reelection princi i ple, to the naming of state governors, one of the chief contentious of the dis | eontented element throughout the repub-
 ic the president stating that if a bill providing for the periodical renovation"
 of the officials in question should come
 tefore congress it would have his earn
 est support.
 Abuse of power by Jefes politico. an-
 other of the crying evils complained of | by residents in the rural districts
 throughout Mexico. is to be abated ac-
 cording to the plan outlined by the president.
 The president proposes to improve the | efficiency of the judiciary through a more careful selection of it's personnel
 and lengthening of the tenure of office. Ffioacous punishment of functionaries | for malfeasance is to be brought about | through the enactment of more stringent measures.
 On the subject of the division of the great private estates, first preached by Minister Limantour in his Paris inter- view, the chief executive declared his | determination to find efficient means for
 bringing about the innovation
 In no previous message of the presi-
 dent has there ever been anything in the | nature of q recommendation. Untf to-
 night his messages have been mere re- sumes of things accomplished.
 1 The public, knowing the president in this message to the twenty-fiith con- I gress would depart from the co SC and ] suggest special Legislation, has showa
 the most intense interest. This feelin1s
 of expectancy found expression in tbs
 members Of congress and from the min
 ute the chief executive entered the chamber Of deputies until the last word of his message every man on tho floor as well as those persons in the galleries listened intently. Every available sea. | in the galleries was occupied, either by diplomats, public officials, or by those fortunate enough to have obtained cards | of admission.
 Diaz Not Aged
 | President Diaz appeared no more aged l tonight than he did when he read his
 message in September. and in spite of the fact that the reading today required
 more than an hour, his voice was as | strong at the conclusion as it was at the | beginning.
 only once was the president inter- | rupted by applause. At the mention of l reforms there was spontaneous clap | ing of hands for one brief minute and | then no more was heard until the close.
 when the big auditorium resoNnded to | handclapping and cries of Viva" This l appeared to be due not so much to | lack of appreciation as to the keenness
 with which the audience followed tho l reader. Now and then some one would cough or a shuffling of feet would be heard and instantly scores of frowning 1 faces were turned toward the origin of l the sound and a low chorus of misses, | the signal for silence, would arise. l After reviewing at length the progress of the nation during the last six months and more briefly the interests leading up 1 to the rebellion and it's progress the i message continued:
 Recent expressions of public opinion | on various questions of governmental | policy have attracted general attention 1 and for this reason the executive deemS | fit to make known the measures which | he believes ought to be adopted and the views by which he will be guided In l his endeavors to warrant tho confidence which the country has reposed In him
 "The change of ministry just effected aims, for example. at satisfying In prac- 1 tice one very general aspiration. which 1 Is that the political personnel be reno- vated from time to time. If have not 1 hestated to part with the services Ok 1 capable, loyal and honest advisers. who 1 for a greater or less length of time had | given me their valued cooperation, my single aim has been to set the precedent | of not carrying on the government in 1 definitely with the same cabnet, how lever high may be the merits of the persons composing 1t, and to show that l room should be made from time to time
 to new energies in the direction of pub | lie affairs.
 Heed Reasonable Complaints l ''Furthermore, measures will be taken that will demonstrate firm purpose t3 l give heed to reasonable complaints that
 are made against some of the authori- | ties especially those who are in close 1 touch with the people.
 | s"It is to be hoped that in this policy
 the federal government will be seconded | by the governors of the States, which by reason of the administrative instru- | mentalities, depending on them. are bet l ter able to remedy the evil in question:
 "The principle of no reelection for ex- | ecutive functonares. elected by popular suffrage had not of late been preached l in any of the legislative assemblies of | the republic, and for this reason tne l federal executive had not thought proper | to express an opinion as to a question l which by its nature falls within the pro- l vision of those assemblies but seeing | that the issue as recently brought up | in some of the state legislatures and dis | cussed in the press. the executive taxes I this occasion to manifest his hearty as
 sent to the principle in question, and q | declare that If bill Is brought beior1 | Congress providing for the periodcaX | renovation of the functionaries referred\ | to, the administration will give to such measure it's heartiest support.
 Would Reform Electoral Laws intimately bound up with the adoption of the principle of no reelection Is the
 question of the reform of the electoral laws for inasmuch as the long contin-
 uance in power of certain functionaries is
 believed to be in part attributable to