The Washington times., 1914-04-29
MEXICO HAS AREA
; OF $4,000 MILES
Republic Is as Large as Austria,
. Germany, France, Britain,
= and Ireland.

The area ot Mexico is practically the
same as that OF the United States be-
tween the Mississippi River and the
Atlantic Ocean. the Great Lakes and
Ilc Gulf of Mexico. and varies in alti-
tide from sea-Ievel to 1900 feet. ac-
AGTding TO information given out today
~ TIC National Geographic Society.
Its climate IS affected by theSe ele va
.G;:t dc. Twelve hundred miles is he
'istaUcc traversed in passing south
from JUare:, on the northern boundary,
10 shc capital, and go miles more to
the southeastern boundary. The Gr:lf
of Mexico and Caribbean Sea coast line
extends for LOO miles, while the Fa-
cilc Ocean and Gulf of California
touch 4oel miles of Mexican coast.
Was Spanish Colony.
ony. and the United States, covered ep-
Ircxinately equal areas, but the 1cxas
secession and the result Of the Mexirsn
War added nearly 100000 square miles
TO our territory, and the extent of Mex
icO noe is less than one-fo lrtn that OF
Continental United States. Msxlco has
stin ter: iIorial expanse eQIll 10 t:ie
aggregate ofAustria-Hungary,G Germany,
france. Great Britain and ireland. rhe
total area OF the republic, i6I,00 square
miles, is less than that Of Texas, Cali
to-nia. Gontana, New Mexico ani -Ari-
xona combined.
The average density of population
OF MEXICO approEimates 70 per square
RUE. the most thickly populated p"r-
tins, outside Of the Fedt r:Il 'iistr CT,
bein;; the States of Tlaxca and 80 XII
co tine former being less than DELI
mare in size and OF about H., same
1sasit% o. population, AID the latter
h ing nearly as large SIS New Ha,Ep
shire. bui with more Iran twice TIE
district, modelled after the District of
Lolan.na, but of eight times grca- e.
area, is surrounded by :he state az
Mexico, the large population f the cap
ital, 9.p,Gu, materially aiding IN biIns-
i5s tho average to more t,an I.ctS Ter
6 ,Care mile. .s
During nearly 500 years subsequent
10 the conquest of Cortes, Spain DOM
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 inde-
pendence was abortive, one coterie
after another coming into temporary
power, and a number of those ac-
claimed rulers, after brief regimes,
meeting ignominious death at the
hands of the people they sought to
govern.
The form of government adopted by
Mexico follows in general that of the
United States, having executive, ju-
dicisl, and legislative divisions. Each
of the twenty-seyen states is repre-
sented in two houses of congress, COM
posed of senators and deputies. Con-
gress holds two sessions each year for
limited periods. Each state has its
governor and legislature, and is sub
divided into districts or counties, over
w
placed, the districts having 'subsi-
diary municipalities with magis-
trates. presiding officials. and coun-
ellis.
The so-caIled autocratic feature of
the government may be largely due
TO the fact that governors hold office
with approval OF the President; that
Jefe politicos have similar relations
with the governors, and that the
OFFICERS of the municipalities are gen.
orally controlled by the jefe politicos.
Church Is Independent. "
The church and state are indie
pendent. and congress cannot pass
laws prohibiting or establishing any
religion. OF the 100000 inhabitants.
two-fifths claim direct descent from
ancient tribes or families which are
accepted as the basis of Mexican his
tory, two-fifths are of mixed native
ana foreign blood, the remainder be-
ing clessed under the common ap
pellation of foreign"
The City of Mexico, 264 miles by rail
west of Vera Cruz, and 7,400 feet
altitude, is reached by two rail routes,
climbing from the hot lands through
difficult mountain passes, one of
which closely follows the trail taken
by Cortes in 1919, by Gen. Winfield
Scott with American troops in lS4I.
and over which. fifteen years later. the
invading French troops passed. 1t is
the most populous city. One-haf OF
the railroad mileage of the country
- between sea level and 500 feet,
and about an equal amount between
5000 and 10000 feet.