The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1911-03-23
SIDE LIGHTS ON Old MEXICO
AND ON HER NEW REVOLUTION

ENOR DON JOSE YVES Ii.
u MANTOUR, Mexican finance
~ minister, who recently left New
York rather secretly and bur-
r1edly, seemed disposed to charge the
instruction in his country to our
muckrakers. Said Don Jose:
1T may seem untrue, but l am new
ertheless convinced that, except for
the sensational articles relative to
Mexico which were printed in YOUR
newspapers and magazines for year
or more before the insurrectionary
movement developed there never
would have been the trouble that has
existed in my country for several
months. For years President Diaz has
told writer's visiting Mexico that all
he desired to be said about his coun-
try was the truth and has discouraged
fulsome praise as much as the muck
raking,' believe you call it, which
has been so much in evidence for some
time
"And this is all that 1 ask OF the
press Of the United States or of any
country in dealing with Mexico-the
truth. You are familiar in a general
way with the extent Of foreign invest
ments in my country, chief of which
are American. If your papers have
any regard for the interests of Amer
leans with large sums Of money in en-
terprises in Mexico and for the posi-
bilities for the further investment of
foreign capital there, it is difficult for
me to understand how they can long
er print sensational matter regarding
Mexico. You may not kill the goose
that lays the golden egg but you GER
tainly will not help the interests of
your own people in Mexico.
Seemingly the Americans who by
allying themselves directly or indirect
~ with that movement have hoped to
avenge some alleged grievance against
my government have failed to realize
that the injury done so far has been
as much to American as to Mexican
interests. You are probably aware
that in the two states to which the
trouble has been almost exclusively
confined there are several thousand
Americans and millions of American
money invested. The mining and kin
dred industries in Chihuahua and So
nora are largely in the hands of Amer
leans.
"Just now those industries are Grip
pied to a great extent, and this-must
I say it?-more because of the activi-
ties of irresponsible Americans in my
country and the support which they
have received from this side of the
border than because of the initiative
of Mexicans resident in Mexico. Your
people have taught my people many
things they never should have known"
AlfonZo Madero, brother of Francis
co T. Madero, the leader of the revolt
in Mexico, evidently looks at things
from a different angle. Says Madero:
ITO begin with. the whole state Of
Chihuahua is now in the hands of my
brother Francisco, with the exception
of the city of Chihuahua. which he
can take any time he wishes. The
city is now completely surrounded by
the insurrectos. Sonora is afame from
border to border, and the instruction
now has FIRM foothold in Lower Cali
fOrnia. while to the eastward in Goa
hula there is already a small force
in the field. Within the next few days
the insurrection will be REINFORCED
in that state by several thousand coal
miners who have been thrown out of
employment by the closing of the
mines.
ut is the same story-revolt every
where. In the state Of Guerrero. in
Vera Cruz. in Oaxaca and in Yucatan.
everywhere the revolution is growing.
Yucatan is practically lost right now
to the Diaz government. 1t spread
with remarkable quickness. The only
question that has confronted the lead.
~ers was arming the people, For years
they have been ready to do what they
are now doing, but the government
was too smart and was able to keep
arms from falling into the hands Of
the people So they got arms very
slowly. Those who got them first used
them first. That is the story of the
uprising in nutshell"
President Diaz has a plan for d.
viding up the great estates into small
holdings for the people. Senior Liman-
tour recently made mention of this
project in New York. There is an i'm
piled promise that this will be done
as soon as the insurrection is over.
Says President Diaz:
"Senor Limantour. who is a good
friend of mine. perhaps had in mind
when making these statements GER
tain conversation which we had some
time ago. in which outlined to him
my ideas as to the purchase by the
government of some such estates
which at present yield little.
IF these properties are bought by
the government and divided into small
lots to be owned by actual tillers of the
soil their cultivation will be more prac-