The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1914-08-07
A PEEP AT MEXICO
The Country's Area Now and
What 1t Was Originally.
HAS LOST A VAST TERRITORY.
Nearly a Million Square Miles of Its
Land Have Been Added to the United
states-StII Big Country, Though,
and Has an Enormous Coast Line.

Land Have Been Added to the United
states--StiII Big Country, Though,
and Has an Enormous Coast Line.
It Is interesting to note that the area
of Mexico is practically as great as that
of the United States between the Mis-
sissippi river and the Atlantic coast,
the great lakes and the gulf of Mexico
varying in altitude from sea level to
$4,000 feet. Its climate is affected by
these elevations and BY a range of
eighteen degrees of latitude Twelve
hundred miles is the distance traversed
In passing south from Juarez. on the
northern boundary, to the capital, and
800 miles more to the southeastern
boundary. The gulf of Mexico and
Caribbean sea coast line extends for
LOO miles, while the Pacific ocean and
gulf of California touch 1000 miles of
Mexican coast
Prior to 1886 Mexico. as a Spanish
colony, and the United States covered
approximately equal areas, but the
Texas secession and the result of the
Mexican war added nearly a million
square miles to our territory, and the
extent of Mexico now is less than one
fourth that of continental United
States. Mexico has still territorial ex-
panse equal to the aggregate Of Aus
trta Hungary, Germany, France, Great
Britain and Ireland. The total area of
the republic, 10000 square miles, is
less than that of Texas, California,
Montana, New Mexico and Arizona
combined.
The average density of population
Of Mexico approXimates twenty per
square mile, the most thickly populated
parts, outside Of the federal district.
being the states of TlaXcala and Mex-
leo, the former being less than Della
ware in size and Of about the same
density of population and the latter be-
ing nearly as large as New Hampshire,
but with more than twice the number
Of inhabitants The federal district,
nodded after the District of Columbia
but Of eight times greater area. is sur
rounded by the state Of Mexico the
large population Of the capital, 100000
materially aiding in bringing the aver
age to more than 1 200 per square mile
During nearly 300 years subsequent
| to the conquest by Cortes. Spain domi-
mated Mexico. A century ago a bold
effort for freedom was started which
eventually resulted in the republic of
Mexico OF today. More than half of
the first century of Mexican independ-
ence was abortive. one coterie after
another coming into temporary power
and number of those acclaimed rul-
ers after brief regimes meeting igno-
minious death at the hands of the peo-
pie they sought to govern.
The form of government adopted by
Mexico follows in general that of the
| United States, having executive, judi
cial and legislative divisions Each of
the twenty-Seven states is represented
In two houses Of congress, composed of
senators and deputies. Congress holds
| two sessions each year for limited pc.
| riods. Each state has its governor and
| legislature and is subdivided into dis
tricts or counties. over each of which
jefe polltico is placed, the districts
, having subsidiary municipalities with
magistrates, presiding officials and
| councils The so called autocratic fea-
! ture Of the government may be largely
! due to the fact that governors hold Of
fee with approval Of the president,
| that jefe politicos have similar rela-
tions with the governors and that the
officers of the municipalities are gener-
ally controlled by the jefe politieos.
The church and state are independ-
ent, and congress cannot pass laws
! prohibiting or establishing any reli-
gion OF the 100000 inhabitants
two-ffths claim direct descent from
ancient tribes or families which are
accepted as the basis of Mexican his
tory, two-ffths are of mixed native
and foreign blood, the remainder being
classed under the common appellation
of foreign
The City of Mexico 264 miles by rail
west Of Vera Cruz and 7,400 feet alti-
climbing from the hot lands through
difficult mountain passes, one of which
closely follows the trail taken by Cor
tes in 1919, by General Winfield Scott
with American troops in 1S47 and over
which fifteen years later the invading
French troops passed. 1t is the most
populous city One-half of the railroad
mileage of the country is between sea
level and 5000 feet and about an equal
amount between 5000 and 10000 feet
From National Geographic Society in
Washington