The farmer and mechanic., 1913-11-18


pieces Of territory that lies out of
doors 1t has gold, silver. copper,
coal. forests, oil. magnificent areas OF
grazing and corn lands. 1t has like
wise splendid cotton and coffe e-grOW-
ing possibilities. Though it lies large
ly under the tropics, its attitudes vary |
SO greatly that. like Colombia. it rep
resents the temperate quite as well as
the torrid zone.
From Cortez down to Maximillian,
and from Maximilian down to Sir
Weetman Pearson, Henry Clay Pierce,
and many other great operators, the
Mexican lure has led men into great
adventures of conquest. war. diplo-
macy, and intrigue, in order that they
might control as much as possible or
this natural richness of Mexico. All
this is we'll understood but few Amer
leans understand it in detail, and ap-
preciate the relations Of the various
interests to current politics, domestic
and International, affecting Mexico.
When Porhrio Diaz came to- the die
tatorship, he believed that the right
policy was to bring in enterprise and
money; to develop the country; to give
away whatever must be given away, in
order to get the rest developed. He
may or may not have been cOrruptly
influenced in this policy. He was gen.
erous with natural resources, much as
The United States has been, in allow
ing its Western railroads to get en-
pires of prairie and forests, Of coal and
6ther mineral and metal-bearing
lands. He had our example to guide
him in this regard. He saw the
United States getting foreign capital.
and growing rich. prosperous. power
ful, and highly civilized Why not do
the same with Mexico?
System of Tenure.
That was the beginning. But back
of Dian there had been established a
system land tenure in general, by
which q minority of Mexico, holding
under grants from Spanish kings and
governors, owned most of the land.
Vast tracts had been conferred on IA
vored families, and the millions of the
common people, mostly Indians, hav-
ing no lands because either the favor
ties Of old royalty or the associates of
the new Diaz regime had taken about
everything. So the masses became
poems. serfs. little better than slaves.
Diaz dominated his congresses as COM
pletely as Huerta wants to do 1t, and
he gave with lavish hand. Mexico
prOspered or rather, Mexico was ex-
plotted in order that its land-holding
and concession-owning aristocracy
might prosper. The masses Of the
people gained almost nothing in ma
terial comforts, and felt themselves
losing the freedom that once had been
theirs.
Diaz and his clique gave vast con-
cessions, among others to Sir Weet-
man Pearson, now Lord COwdray, an
Englishman. Pearson built the TIE
huantepec Railroad. though the Mex
lcan government owns it. There were
vast profits in the building; there
have been more in the operation. b,
tract with the government.
But the Panama Canal is abou
opening. and the Pearson interest!
are credited with fears thet the cana
will take away most Of the railroad.
traffic and leave the operating con
tract a very lean affair. Therefore
according to common report in Mexi
can circles here, Cowdray would lik
to have his operating contract takel
of his hands and the Tehuantepe
transcontinental line turned over t
the NatiOoal Railway Of Mexico, tn
general state-owned system.
Was COwtlrAy Hope.
Diaz was the Cowdray hope, and s
Cowdray supported DiaZ against Ma
dero as long as there was any chanc
at ali. Diaz had also turned over t
the Pearson crowd Immensely rich o.
concessions throughout the country
other oil concessions had gone to tn
Waters-Pierce Oil Company, then
part of the Standard Oil system
Standard Oil group was disposed to b
friendly to the Maderos, and the Cow
dray clements to Diaz. The Madero
were superior people; not only Fran
cisco. who became President, but h
family as Il whole. They represente
the ancient landed aristocracy, an
wanted to give the people chance
francisco, more advanced than til
rest. was an idealist and a dreamer
With Francisco MaderO Presiden
the Cowdray forces were in eclips
Madero was determined to reorgani;
the land system of the country ar
give the plain people a chance at IL
and: which is just what Mr.. Lloy,
George proposes to do in Englan
Likewise. Madero proposed 70 tai
away from the conCessionaires eve
acre OF land to which their title "
possibly under a ciond