The Washington times., 1911-03-28
Reyes Is Returning
To Take the Command
Of the Mexican Army

Special kilograms from the City OF
Mexico to The Times today go far to-
ward clearing up the obscurity that has
surrounded the situation in the southern
republic.
They make it apparent that the Diaz
government has pretty completely yield
ed 10 the more moderate element. and
that the Limantour-De la Barra cabinet
that is coming into power is to have
opportunity to compose differences in
the country, and that the Madero fam
fly may be brought into cooperation in
this effort.
The most important indication OF this
purpose is the definite announcement
that General Reyes is to come home
from France, and that he will not enter
the cabinet. He will, instead, take charge
OF military operations for the govern
ment in northern Mexico the seat of
the most alarming disturbances.
Reyes Widely Loved.
Reyes is in many ways the most pc
tent personal force with the Mexican
people He possesses at once the af-
feCtion of the army and the confidence
OF the people. There are those who i'm
siSt that if he takes command of the
federal forces, the Maderists will to n
considerable force desert the revolution
AIRY standard.
Reyes. so long as the Diaz govern
ment was bent on maintaining its old
attitude Of unyieldinS rlSor, was re-
Earded as a dangerous man in the coun-
try He was utterly out of sympathy
with that policy. and Diaz induced him
TO accept a commission in Europe, noin-
finally for tn" purpose of studying Eu-
lopean military organizations; actuall,,
as was well understood, for the purpose
L,s fv,r- Of hn
That he was willing TO leave at all
was a disappointment to many of his
admirers who had hoped that he would
in time become the leader of the re-
I'm the country would by this time have
been much worse than ii is, If. indeed,
the rebellion had not become successful
revolution. Nothing could better demon
strate the elimination of the old Dlaz
methods. than the return of Reyes.
Hint of Peace Conferences.
Suggestive of the possible develop
ments, is the insisteut report that de la
Barra, on his way to Mexico City, will
confer with Francesca !. Madero. prob
ably at some place on the Mexican bor-
der. De la Barra conferred in New York
with the head of the MaderO family, the
father of Francisco; there is every
reason 10 believe that negotiations Of
much significance are actually in prog
ress between the Maderos and the new
leaders.
President Taft's purpose in sending the
American troops to the border is be-
coming clearer with each days events,
and it is growing apparent that the
moral effect of that move is largely re-
sponsible for the establishment of a
compromise regime that may yet restore
peace to the country.
People who in the beginning were dis
posed to CritiCise the President for his
action begin to realize that the course
of events may entirely vindicate him.
The 'maneuVers' were indeed merely
maneuVers but they might have be-
come something much more serious had
10 the demands for policy Of concili-
alton and paCifiCatiOn.
Must Recognize Maderos.
The Madcros must be given recogni-
ton in any program for peace and It
seems likely that in the end Diaz will
have to retire. albeit in as graceful and
dignifed fashion as can be arranged.
But the new management Of Mexico is
going TO try to catch the revolutionary
flies with sugar rather with vinegar.
That Is the essential difference be-
tween 1t and the old. Diaz does not
know the sugar process. The rebels
will have doubts whether the sugar is
the real thing, so long as the stern
old sOldier-statesman remains even
nOminally at the head of affairs.
The Naderos, by standing firm at this
junCture, may be able to force the re-
ii ement Of Diaz as the price of their
adhesion to the new order. In that case.
and especially If they were given a
representation in the new cabinet, they
would have won the substance, and
much of the form, of a victory.