The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1911-06-01
P0RRTRl0 DIAZ AN EXILE



muzzles pointing In the direction Of the
city. The police guards. every one
with the rank of lieutenant. marched
to the porch and there formed double
rank. with an open space before the
doorway.
The double ranks before the house
stood at attention under the fervid sun
without movement. all in olive and white
uniforms. some with sandals instead
OF shoes on their feet. Each stolid Indian
face was kept fixedly on the doorway.
with the shining bayonet held rigidly
against the vizor Of the cap For an
hour they waited. while Gen. Huerta.
an old comrade Of Diaz in many wars.
paced the porch in company with Col
Manuel Gonzales and Gen Fernando
Gonzales. sons of the President who
preceded Diaz in the Presidential chair.
A small crowd Of citizens struggled
across the moors and banked themselves
behind the fence Of bayonets. Porfirio
Daz Sd. and his brothers. husky little
fellows dressed in sailor suits, played bah
on the side gallery.
At 1890 hum arose within the house
The group Of officials at the door parted
and Diaz stepped, bareheaded. into the
sunlight. He wore thin frock coat and
carried an old Panama hat in his hand.
His face. brown and rugged. was un-
marked by emotion when he first stepped
with firm tread to the patch Of sunlight
on the steps.
An erratic wind from the Gulf lifted
the tuft Of thin white hair from his fore
head. When the exPresident appeared
every back stiTened. every Indian face
became set in fixed look that betrayed
the mastering Of emotions. An order
was shouted and every gun came up to
present. each officer raised the hilt Of his
sword to his chin with glinting blade
aloft. the men at the machine guns lifted
their palms in salute.
There was no fanfar"; of tr'impets;
just minute OF heavy tenseness.
Then Huerta. his eyes glis'eniag with
tears that came unashamed. stepped
before Gen. Diaz and made brief address
in the name of the army OF Mexico.
Now that you are leaving Ms" said he.
Il bid You godspeed. | saw orce more.
as often in the past. that you can always
rely upon the army which you have
made. from the least soldier to the
greatest. In this blac kness Of national
crisis the army has been the white spot
which has ever shown by your side II
has been in the past ana will be at any
time in the future yours Loyalty TO COM
mand whenever you have need OF il.
We are sorry see you go. hut We are
glad that the peoples Of Europe will have
the opportunity TO know at first hand the
one man who has made Mexico
When he had finished Huerta stepped
| to the side Of his old commander and EN-
braced him in sight Of all. Diaz threw
his arms impulsively over Huera's
shoulders and patted him on the back
Diazs eyes we're wet and his lips twitched
N pain.
| Then the old General Strengthened him
self up ana spoke to the soldiers before
him. His voice was clear and resonant.
The note Of virility in it was surprising.
L am grateful to the army and % have
been able 10 count on it until the ultmat,
minute OF my departure" said he. That
white point which Gen. Huerta alluded
To is the only defence the republic has 10
rely upon in reestablishing peace in this
cTlss WnlCn HAS come upon II. VIII Bo
from Mexico. but ! give you my word OF
honor that il at any time this republic
be involved in any great trouble | will
come back and under the shadow Of this
flag for which l have fought much. and
with the help OF this army. no loyal.
will know how TO conquer as once con-
quersd in the past.
Here Gen. Diazs voice grew husky
He stopped for O minute and tried TO sti
the nervous twitrhing OF his face The
hands that held the swords aloft in salute
trembled and tears were in the Indian
eyes He went on:
And now leave Mexico for the first
time in many. many years. There is
nothing but sadness in my parting from
YOU. my soldiers. the last Of my soldiers
NV blessing take the blessing OF your
old commander! cannot say more"
Diaz stopped and from the ragged
fringe Of spectators behind the lines OF
Still the old man stood bareheaded
before his troops. Huerta stepped for
ward and announced that Diaz would bid
farewell personally to each officer present
One by one the officers sheathed swords
and stepped to the porch and standing
him. Each he patted on the back a. his
arm eucircled them and to some he spoke
| a few words huskily. Most Of the oficers
had their eyes brimming with tears
When the last officer stepped back to his
place there was a minutes pause. Then
a private standing just before the ex-
President an Oaxaca Indian who had
served twenty years in the ranks. cried
out something in tongue not Spanish,
dropped his gun and threw himself on
| the step.
| Before the nearest officer could check
him the Indian soldier had embraced
Diaz's ankles and there he lay patting his
commanders shoes and grooming broken
sentences Daz patted his barred head
and he stepped back to his place. brought
his gun to IA salute and was immobile
Then Gen. Diaz returned to a vacant
room in the house and there on a table
ay two hundred and more messages. for
the most part yet unopened, Nearly a
third OF them were cable dispatches from
oreign countries
Gen. Joaquin Beltran. Commandant Of
Cadets at the Chapultepec Military
Academy, approached Diaz with long
resolution OF love and loyalty from the
students. He asked the General to sign
his name thereto. that it might be pre-
served in the archives OF the academy
Gen Diaz did so. After that all the troops
but the palace guard moved away to
their temporary barracks behind the
house and Gen. Diaz spent the remainder
Of tho tivpn mi arvoptnn hoforo ho had