Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-05-05
MEXICO'S LEADERS.
Pen Picture by a Man Who Knows
Them.
Gen. HUERTA HAS GREAT ABILITY,

Villa is Characterized as Cruel anc
Cowardly, and Carranza is Said &c
be AffabIe; But Incapable as q
Leader of Troops.
Who are the big men of Mexico?
+, Above the din Of battle south Of the
Rio Grande we hear three names
Huerta, CarranZa, Villa. AS a wal
correspondent in Mexico, it repeatedly
has fallen to my lot to follow each OF
these men in the field. l have seen
each in the heat and action Of battle
and have talked with them on conven-
| tional topics in time Of peace. AS a
result l have had considerable oppor-
tunity to study their characters and to
Judge their ability to fill the positions
they now occupy.
At the very crater Of the Mexican
volcano and the cause Of all the trou-
,, BILE is Huerta-pronounce it Werta
There is a saying in Mexico that it is
easier to become president than to fill
the office and exercise the authority OF
the executive head Of the nation. HUI
erta has discovered this, and also that
it is easier to get into the presidency
than to get out Of it.
Don Victoriano, as he is known in
Mexico City, really was not prepared
to assume the office Of president and
command a people. He had not learn
ed fully how to command an army
for he was made major general only
few months before the coup that
overthrow Madero and placed him in
the National palace. Had he been
granted little more time before be-
ing forced into the presidential cha'r
Huerta might have made a better joL
Of the presidency, but from the pres
ent outlook his end is not far distant
Overreached Himself.
Despite the many reports to the
contrary, General Huerta is about the
strongest man Mexico has produced
since the days Of Porfiro Diaz. But
Huerta's lack Of knowledge Of men
and worlds affairs has been his fail
ing. He has thought it trait Of strong
character to bubble with Uncle Sam
with a view Of gaining popular sup
port. In this he has been successful
to a great extent, but in tamperine
with the patience Of President Wilson
over the Tampico incident, he spilled
little more water out Of the bucket
than he expected.
The result has been his discreditine
himself in the eyes Of his immediate
associates and the masses Of the
Mexican people to such an extent that
unless he attempts some new act OF
cunning diplomacy, he is doomed at
the hands of his own countrymen. Al
least, that is the outlook.
Huerta has probably the best tech
nical education of any man in Mexico
What he lacks Is practicability-no'
the kind Of which Madero was devoid
but the sound fundamental principles
Of government and legitimate inter
course between nations. He Is ambi-
tious for the good Of his country-all
Mexicans are more or less, but he has
permitted his ambition to sway his
Judgment, so that he has stopped to
means that slowly, but steadily are
working out his doom, perhaps at the
hands Of a foreign nation, but more
likely at the hands Of his own people.
Huerta's mother was an Indian and
his father a Spaniard-a combination
that hardly could be practical. His di-
plomacy and cunning, his crafty ways
and his personal fearlessness are the
Indian instincts inherited from his
squaw mother; his love for fame and
cruelty, together with his natural ten
dency toward oppression of those
weaker than he, and his ever-ready
willingness to deal injustice, come
from his Spanish blood.
Graduated an Engineer.
Educated in the military school OF
Chapultepec college, Victoriano was
graduated at the age Of 81 a commits
stoned lieutenant Of engineers. During
his schooling he is said to have devel-
and headed his classes in mathe-
matics and astronomy. l have heard
the Constitutionalists remark that had
Huerta continued his scientific re-
search and contented himself with the
stars and their courses, Mexico would
have been a far more peaceful country
today.
The constitution Of Mexico provides
that each graduate Of the College OF
Chapultepec must stand ready to give
service in the army. Young Huerta
first served during the presidency of
Lerdo de Tejida in charge of garri-
son in the state of OaXaca. Later he
was made captain of engineers and
placed in command of a small coast
in Guerrero During his stay in the
western state there occurred an Incl
dent that showed he had developed a
daring nature and also developed what
probably is the basis of "Pancho" Viii
las hatred for him.
Villa was leading a band of guerillas
in the mountains where Huerta was
stationed. The ravages of the bandits
on the population of the valley had
become so frequent that Huerta decid-
ed to put an end to the robbers. Ac-
cordingly he took two men and, un-
armed, went into the hills in the
neighborhood of Villas camp. He had
gone only short distance when he
was surrounded by Villas men and told
to surrender. Without making a show
Of resistance and to the disgust OF his
companions, he surrendered without a
murmur.
The bandit chief held his prisoner
for several days and finally entered
into an arrangement with Huerta by
which the latter agreed on a certain
day to leave the town where he was
stationed in order that the robbers
might loot the stores and escape to
the hills without the necessity of any
blood being spilled.