The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-05-18
THE REAL MEXICAN QUESTION.
Admiral Chadwick Discusses Underiy-
Ing Conditions Pancho villa AFTER
All Perhaps q Potential Cromwell ?


things are or should I've clear.
1. That Mexico has been governed by
an upper class mainly OF Spanish blood
which owns the land and wealth of that
country.
2. That below this class Is an igno-
rant. immoral, Incorporate mass OF fif-
teen times perhaps as numerous az the
other. owning nothing and practically
| serfs TO the million, say, OF the first
| class. Mexico is the Russia of two
| generations since, with the added great
difficulty that these scrfs are OF several
very diverse races of Indians with mix
lures Of all degrees. Mexico is thus
fundamentally Indian in blood and tenn
permanent; not Spanish.
3. The unrest of this great mass OF
Indians and people of Indian mixture,
ground since the Spanish conquest
| under the milestone of slavery is the
main cause OF the revolution. They do
not know what they want: they only
know that they do not want what they
have, which IL nothing. Their revolt
has almost as little Of actual mentality
when one goes below the leaders, as has
the movement of an earthquake to
which In a way IL may be compared
And they are going to continue to revolt
until they have some Of the benefits of
! life; land to cultivate and the right to
live their lives for themselves instead OF
for their (practicaD owners. Thus any
dictator set up by the higher class can
only exist for long by armed suppress
sion of this lower class, as did Diaz,
a model despot.
Such, az see them are the real con-
| ditions. In illustration of the foregoing
L., . la, f..lI
In III uundo of Havana which was re-
printed in III Dictamen [Opinionl Of
Mexico city. with the latter's strongly
expressed approval. FL Mundo says
in part:
What Is taking place in Mexico lis II
| a process of dissolution or transfoi ma
| ton? Let us consider.
In country OF fourteen or sixteen
| million inhabitants. We are not sure OF
| the exact number, OF whom II Is calcu-
! lated that twelve or thirteen million are
| native Indians, who remain submerged in
profound misery and the deepest igno-
rance. II has been attempted TO install a
| democratic government-"a government
| OF the people, for the people. and by the
+ people. and Its destruction, which could
/ have been predicted. and which was bound
| &" happen. has been complete and irrop-
| arabic. In Mexico II 10 impossible for
] q
/ prlved Of the necessities OF life and OF the
! most elemental education. to take part In
/ political affairs These millions of people
are simply Inhabitants, they are not citl-
! zens II never was possible. nor II II
/ possible now, that this enormous multi
tude sunk In the deepest misery and gross
/ ignorance. could by Itself establish gov
| eminent worthy Of the name. The condi-
/ lions necessary to establish o true gov
srInent cannot come from this poor and
| intensely ignorant mass. The rulers In
| Mexico have never occupied themselves
with the huge national task. the great
/ patriotic obligation. OF Transforming this
! human cOnglomeration. AT present purely
tribal, into "a body OF citizens He who
dies Of hunger in his own country cannot
/ have much love for Il. He who is In
/ want. or If lacking IN even the rudiments
/ OF education, cannot be "A citizen conscious
/ Of his rights and civil duties.
such is the economic and mental con-
/ dition OF the mass OF the Mexican people
/ In order for the republic to have es-
tablished itself on firm foundation u
/ was necessary to raise this mass to a
higher level OF life. both economic and
! mental, by means of good agrarian
system, and a good school system.
In Mexico, whose territory Is several
| times larger in extent than that Of France
or Germany, the common people are in
want Of land 10 cultivate.
hands Of a comparatively few owners.
There ar" ranches or "hac!endas" as We
say In cuba, az large as the province Of
, Havana '@.00O square miles,.
All Of the land is monopolized by n
! f'w. In the midst OF this vast surplus
| the whole Indian population Is perishing
from misery and starvation
Mere existence IL impossible to n
people who are In fact In a condition OF
actual slavery. The true owners Of
Mexico are those who lawfully, or other
wise. are In possession OF the land,
Imagine the province Of Havana I'm the
| hands OF on" or two owners.
| On their part. immense wealth for the
remainder of the population, frightful
| poverty.
This is the condition az affairs in
Mexico: for few land holders great
riches for the great mass OF the popula-
ton, tho deepest misery.
Economcally, nothing good. nothing
| beneficial has resulted In this country
/ through It's republican form OF govern
| mcnt. Nor has the Intellectual condition
| of the people been bettered. When ex-
treme want exists in any class of people,
| ignorance exists also.
Culture can only exist with creature
| comforts. The efforts Of hungry people
are concentrated on the strife for bread
| and not IN culiivating the land. Bread
| must come before books.
! Under such conditions peace does not
exist In Mexico, nor will it ever exist.
An impacable dictatorship such as that
! Of Daz may bc able to retain the masses
! in subsection for "A time. but they will
break or attempt to break the bonds as
soon az they feel themselves sufficiently
| strong. or as soon az they perceive signs
| Of weakness In the resources OF the Gov
| eminent
Under the liberal tyranny OF Don Por-
| h,lo Diaz the wealth and culture OF the
| ruling class of scarcely a million and a
| half OF people increased rapidly. But to
| this class, the owners of the means OF
| production, land. capital, commerce, OF
| the industries and professions was the
| prosperity limited
II Is this ruling class alone which con-
| trolls the political and economic condl-
| tons OF the country.
! But the great mass OF humanity con-
| tinued to live In the same AFFECT misery
! as II did a century ago under the arlsto-
cratic government OF the Viceroys.
This existing condition may be summed
| up as follows:
The lowest order of the social and
| political organization. the great mass Of
| the population composed OF Indians and
mestizos, absolutely indifferent To all