The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-05-15
GENERAL D|AZ IS CLUTCH|NG AT THE
 LAST FAINT HOPE Cabinet Decides to Wait "A Hours Longer Before
 Altering Policy
HOPE QUARREL MAY
 CAUSE DISRUPTION
Important Reform Measure Granting Redivision of Public Owned
 Lands Is Introduced in
 Chamber of Deputies

Mexico City, May 15.-Clutching to the faint hope that the quarrel between Madero and Orozco would yet result in the disruption of the rebel forces and thus relieve the government of the necessity of facing a crisis, President Diaz and his cabinet today decided to await the developments of another A hours before altering their policy. The cabinet meeting took place at the home of the president and the ministers had received little news of an encouraging character.
 Arriving a thu capital were numerous reports of the movement of rebels. in- cluding occupation of small towns and battles impending, but the minister of war was unable to lay before the execu- tive and the cabinet any reports of fed : eral victories. No improvement could be shown but evidence of an increasing seriousness was abundant.
 Following the meeting of the cabinet which was comparatively short, Minis ter De La Barra stated that 1t had been decided to await developments at J udItZ CDtthiHS lOi iluiscil thC iiitA- ister manifested once more his optim- ism He declared that he believed the Unofficial efforts being made to secure q resumption of negotiations for peace would yet prevail.
 Diaz's army continues today to re- main huddled in small attachments Tn the larger towns or to chase unsuccess- fully mobile bands of rebels who rare ly face them in battle but who con tent themselves with occupying those towns where little or no resistance Is made. This morning the capital re- ceived news that a body of the revolu- tionary army had at length taken Te- huacan, the watering place in the state of Puebla, where Vice President corral spent so many weeks.
 No resistance was made. From Vera Cruz comes the news that San Miguel has been taken and the residents Of the port city are anticipating attack, for, by holding San Miguel. the enemy controls tie pert's water-~ssaeplys whose source is in the little captured vil- lage.
 Jalapa Threatened
 Residents of Jalapa, the capital of the same state, report the occupation OF nearby villages and express the fear that the rebels will not long delay an attack on their city. Reports tha { the number of rebels in the state of Jalisco Is increasing has caused the residents of Guadalajara to betray anXi- ety, and special interest Is given to the fairs in that state by the activity or the young society men of the capital who yesterday announced that they had placed themselves at the head or troops. This morning pos ters were displayed at street corners of Lagos. in that state, demanding the surrender of the city. They were signed by three of these leaders, who, until now, have displayed their greatest ac- tivity in the halls or the Joehey ciuo in this city.
 Frightened at the prospect of fighting within their cities, residents of Jalapa and Guadalajara are reported to nave petitioned the troops stationed there not to offer resistance if the surrender ol the places is demanded.
 \ Mexico City May 14-Another of the reforms proposed in the presidents mes sage to Congress on April 1, and one which will doubtless prove its importance through its ultimate result upon the coun- try. was given definite form by the fn- troduction in the chamber of deputies yes- terday of a bill providing for division of the public domain and of prlVate es- tates and the distribution of the land in small tracts among the people. The texr of the measure was made public today.
 The bill was drawn in the department of fomento and was referred to com mittee of that department and of the finance branch of the government Tn general terms the bill authorizes the ex- ecutive to undertake to acquire, divide and sell through the department of fo- mento such national lands as possess the reonisite conditions for distribution in small parcels, being either 'arable, pas toral or capable of being brought under irrigation and situated near some route of communication
 It Is provided also that If in places where 1t is desirable to divide uplands there are no national' lands suitable for the purpose the executive may acquire land belonging to private individuals pro vided there are facilities for irrigation and the owners do not care to sub-divide such estates themselves'
 To assure the productiveness of the tracts so acquired dutiable measures will be taken in the way of construct ing irri gat ton, sanitation and drainage works. transportation lines and other installa tions conducive to successful cultivation and will establish agencies ana offices for the sale of the tracts.
 w irrigation provision will be available only to private persons or to companies or persons who, possessiong large es- tates are willing to subdivide them.
 With reference to such persons or companies a price Is to be agreed upon to be paid as compensation for the cost of the works and the expenses of their maintenance and 1t is provided that when the outlay by the govern ment has been returned to the treasury through such payments the land own CTS are to become the owners of the ir- rigation works A provision for boun- ties to promote the cultivation and im- provement of lands is included. To cov- CT the outlays contemplated by the pro- posed law the department of Formento may use an appropriation of 25,000, 900 pesos ($l2 100000 gold)s voted by the chamber of deputies in 1903. provided that during the fiscal year of 1911-12 not more than 3,ooo,00o pesos may be used.
 Lafayette Is Buried