The Washington herald., 1914-06-14
gen. CARRANlA IS
MAN OF THE HOUR
Rebel Who May, Soon Rule
Mexico a Stern From
ticrsman.
MADERo HIS PRoTEeE
The First Chief Comes Of Fighting
Stock. and Some Say He Resem-
bles Roosevelt.

y
II yenustiano Pine Carranza. first chief
of the constitutionalists, and. perhaps,
soon de facto President of Mexico, were
TO put on strictly american dress and
walk down the promenade Of an. Ameri-
can city, no one meeting him would take
him for. Mexican Spaniard He, is rud-
DIV. but not swarthy, rugged of face rath-
or than fiery, fun bearded in, the manner
of many American physicians aged in the
fifties or sixties Behind spectacles which
tell of nearsightedness shine gray eyes.
An Anglo-Saxon grandfather from head
TO foot
Hut one must remember the Germanic
hories which poured upon the fertile
fields of Spain in the Middle Ages. The
fierce Goth is mirrored in Carranza- Se
is a Mexican of pure Spanish descent,
but drawn from race which entered
Spain about the time thf Angles and
Saxons reached England.
Anti-AngIo-saxon.
Carranza's instincts. nevertheless. are
anti-Anglo-Saxon- His position to inter-
yention has been firm and defiant To
understand this man whose shadow
Iengthens in the land Of Mexico every
day il is necessary to understand his life
of constant struggle toward goal he
now believes almost within reach.
1t Is not generally realized that Car
rama was the Intellectual godfather of
Francisco Madero. Now fifty-fve years
of age, he was much older than the mar
tyred president Madero was of the top
most circle of Mexican aristocracy, with
enormous wealth. Carranza was ranch
er of moderate estate.
The first chief of the constitutionalists
came of fighting stock. His father was
a commander in the warfare which ended
L hoxE
milan. Around his fathers board he
heard words which might have meant
death IL uttered in public. As a young
men he became strongly impressed with
the wrongs of the peon. He studied law
in CoahuiIa, the state where he was born.
and in Mexico City. But his poor eyes
drove him back to the ranch.
In combination of intellectual life and
out-of-doors existence. it has been re-
marked, he closely resembles Theodore
Roosevelt.
He Deded Diar.
Twice he boldly offered himself at the
polls as a candidate for governorship OF
Coahuila against a man backed by Por-
firio Diaz Diaz sent ENJOYS to warn and
even threaten him, but WAS afraid TO or
der his death on account II the LOYALTY
OF the people TO the scholarly ranchero
r OF course, the Diaz candidate won IN
with soldiers But the brave stand OF
Carranza had interested the young aris-
tocrat. Francisco Madero. He put up
money for Carranza's second guberna-
torial contest. He sat at the feet OF Car
rama and drank in his discourses on the
robbery of the poems lands 1t was the
opening of his eyes by Carranza which
caused Madero to head his successful re-
volt which placed him in short-lived pos
session of the National Palace.
.-Senor Carranza's independence and his
high ideals in politics" Madero once said.
caused me to support him in his cam
paign for the governorship. I made
speeches for him and contributed to the
expenses of his camPaign- The people
wanted him for governor. but he was
counted out. l saw then what the Diaz
system meant
Had No interest i'm Politics.
"I had taken no active interest in poll
tics up to that time, but then l realized
that We could have no real self-govern-
ment so long as the Diaz machine or any
other machine with the same purposes
was permitted to perpetuate itself. From
that defeat of Carranza We went on TO
the national convention and the organiza-
ton of the movement against DiaZ.'
"Carranza refused the title of general
under Madero and he led his men with
out a regular rank. He is not soldier
by training, except the training OF actuai
hostilities He was secretary of state in
the provisional government of Madero
for a time, but declined cabinet office
later. He had spent many years in Mex
leo City as a senator and knew what its
graft-infested atmosphere meant
On Madero's success, however, Carran-
"a stood third time for governor of Goa
hula, and was unanimously elected. This
was in 1911
fall uh
preceptor raised the standard of revolt.
Gov. Carranza was the first leader to de-
clare against Huerta- He gathered 1000
men at Monclova and issued his famous
declaration of principles, a time-honored
part of the inauguration of any Latin
American revolt His battle cry has been
''Give the land back to the people" Yet
he would pursue more orderly and lawful
methods than the rougher Francisco
Villa.
A Stern Character.
Carranza is a stern, uncompromising
character, with the simple habits of the
solicitary frontiersman. He is a total alb
stainer from liquor and tobacco and rises
at O'Clock every morning of his life.
His six-feet figure is most commanding.
He is a type that naturally dominates.
The one side of his nature which is hard
for Americans to understand is his cru
city III warfare. While not so ruthless
as Villa and Zapata, he is wont 10 prefer
the shooting squad as punishment for
minor offenses.
There was Carlos Piza. young noun
taineer who Joined Carranza about=t the
time of his declaration against Huerta-
Piza harassed the enemy increasingly |
with his little band and did great service
to the constitutionalist cause. But in |
Mexican style he looted the villages
through which he passed. Carranza him. |
self is given to extOrting immense sums \
from wealthy cientifcos. but ne was !;
seeking to free his ranks from the charge |
of brigandage. So when it was found {
that young Piza had brought in 500 pesos
from certain village he was ordered to
return the money. This he failed TO do.
stood Up nnd~Shot.
Further. he grumbled and suggested to |
his followers that they take to the bush. /
Such conduct meant the end of disci- |
pine. Gen. Carranza ordered the young |
man shot Even after he was stood up /
against the adobe wall and the firing |
squad OF twelve lined opposite. an appeal |
was sent to the first chief. The messen-
ger brought back the command, La /
muerta." and the rifles spoke.
few hours later the chieftain wrote a |
sympathetic letter 10 the mother of the |