The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1914-05-28
MEx|C0'S FUTURE
PAINTED BLACK
SuperInan viii Be Needed to
Take Place Of Huerta.
WILL FACE EMPTY TREASURY

caps-Reconstructio Of Republic q
Harder Problem Than That Follow.
ing Our Own Civil War-Constitu.
tionaIists' Split Increases Difficulty.
That the elimination Of Victoriano
Huerta, whether it come as the result
of mediation, of Constltutionalist VIC
tories or the answering opposition Of
the United States, will prove far from
a settlement Of the Mexican problem is
the conviction Of the diplomatic body
In Washington and military experts Of
the United States.
Indeed, few doubt. adds the New
York Tribune's Washington correspond
ent, that the Mexican situation" will
continue for months or even years.
Army and navy men are convinced that
If actual armed Intervention Is STAYED
off now 1t will be only matter Of time
before that step will have to be taken.
When Huerta goes some provisional
government probably will be arranged
pending an election. Such Is the desire
of the United States and the definite
plan Of the mediators. The fa!! OF
,Huerta may be taken as q COnstitu-
tionalist victory-it certainly will be by
the Constitutionalists- it is under
stood in Washington that the provi
sional president probably will be man
of rebel tendencies. The election which
would follow would 60 to the COnstitu-
tionalists.
| Task For superman.
There have already been evidences
of split in the Constitutionalist ranks.
If there exists any factionalism when
those who are now rebels become the
government the chances of success will
be still further diminished. If Car
rama becomes president he will be
confronted with task which, in the
opinion of close observers, will call for
a superman. If Carranza is hampered
by the detection Of Villa or any other
of his leaders it is believed his task
will be hopeless, and with their entire
cooperation it will be stupendous.
! When Carranza gets to Mexico City
he will find an empty treasury. He
will find that the Mexican government
owes hundreds of thousands of dollars
interest on foreign debts. He will be
called upon to pay hundreds Of millions
Of dollars in foreign claims. The fig
ure is likely to run far over the
$1,0OO,OO0,OOO mark.
Furthermore, he will not have the
funds to meet his own political and
other obligations.
1t is pointed out in Washington that
Mexico has got to face reconstruc-
tion period far more difficult than that
which followed the civil war in this
country, and in the estimation of keen
observers that unfortunate country
has no statesman competent to guide
her through its perils. These observers
are convinced that Carranza will find
the matter Of accomplishing reforms
slow work. probably too slow to suit
the pleasure Of his people, and that
soon he will be confronted with new
"Carranzas" and new "Villas" and
kindred gentry.
Zapata to 30 Reekoned With.
Aside from his financial difficulties,
Carranza. or whoever else becomes
head of the government, will face a,
gigantic task in restoring peace and
order. All Mexico is infested with
bandits. The north is particularly at
their mercy. There is no reason to-
assume that they will cease their ma.
rauding because the government in
Mexico City has changed.
The Zapatistas Of Morelos and other
nearby states. who pose as revolution.
lists but are looked upon as bandits.
are not expected to support Carranza.
They will follow Zapata, who is cred.
tied with ambitions Of his own.
There Is also strong likelihood that
Huerta's army will disintegrate, and
this will mean the addition of many
thousand armed men running wild
over the country, loyal to no govern.
ment, responsible to no man. They
will all have to be eradicated by Huer
ta's successor.
Effects Of Strife In Mexico.
Says F. J. Splitstone in Leslie's:
Not until the wiping out of all organ.
lied rebellion could the government at
Mexico City undertake the extinction
Of brigands. If the civil war could be
ended at once it would take ten years
to put Mexico back into that condi-
ton Of peace and good order which ex-
listed up to the commencement Of the
Madero revolution. Is it any wonder
that the property owners, the people
with something to lose. were crying
for peace? Ten years to repair the de-
struction Of three!
A Mexican to whom I suggested this
laughed at me. 1T will take" said he,
fifty years to put Mexico back where
she was three years ago. The country
might be pacifled in ten. but the ruin
ed farms, the shattered industries, the
wrecked railroads, the burned towns
cannot be replaced in a generation. So
far our government has shown you the
hest side of the country and v0u have