Imperial Valley press., 1914-05-21
SOCIETY
REPORTS ON MEXICO
(BY BURTON X. STANDISH)
(Writted for the United Press

luton stricken republic, just made
public here by the National Geograph-
ic Society, are of unusual interest.
In the first place, few people realize
that the area of Mexico is practical
lv as large as that of the United
States between the Mississippi River
and the Atlantic Coast, the Great
Lakes and the Gulf of Mexico, vary
ing in altitude from sea-level to
$4,000 feet. Its climate is affected by
these elevations and by range OF
Is degrees of latitude. Twelve hun
dred miles is the distance traversed
in passing south from Juarez on the
northern boundary to the capital, and
900 miles more to the southeastern
boundary. The Gulf of Mexico and
the caribbean Sea coast line extends
for 1900 miles while the Pacific ocean
and the Gulf of California touch A.
O0G miles of Mexican coast.
The average density Of population
of Mexico approximates 20 per square
mile, the most thickly populated por-
tions. outside of the Federal district
being the states of Tlaxcala and Mex
leo. the former being smaller in are9
than Delaware and of about the same
density of population. The state of
Mexico is nearly as large both in
population and area as New Hamp-
shire.
The form of government adopted
by Mexico follows that in general of
the United States, having executive.
legislative and judicial divisions. Each
of the 27 states is represented IN two
houses of congress, composed Of Sena
tors and Deputies. Congress holds two
sessions each year for limited per-
iods. Each state has its governor and
legislature and is sub-divided into dis
tricts or counties, over which "Jef2
politico" is placed, the districts hav-
ing subsidiary municipalities with
magistrates, presiding officials and
councils. The so-called autocratic fea-
ture Of the government may be large
ly due to the fact that governors
hold office with the approval of the
President, that jefe politicos have sim
liar relations with the governors, and
4 Df +ho
are generally controlled by the jefe
politicos.
The church and state are independ-
ant, and Congress cannot pass laws
prohibiting or establishing any reli-
gion. Of the 16,O00,000 Inhabitants,
swo-ffths claim descent from ancient
ribes or families which are accepted
as the basis of Mexican history, two
fifths are of mixed native and for
eign blood, the remainder being class
ed under the common appelation of
foreign"
The City of Mexico, 246 miles by
rail west of Vera Cruz and 2,700 feet
in altitude is reached by two rail
routes, climbing from the hot i5nd-
through difficult mountain passes, oEe
of which closely follows the trail TAX
en- by Cortes in 1919, by General Win
field Scott with American troops in
1s47. and over which Is years later,
the invading French troops passed.
Congress is jealous of being shunt-
ed out of the public gaze by the Mex
can situation. The public may not
have noticed it, but the fact remains
that the Senate and House have been
doing mighty little since the fleet was
ordered to Vera Cruz. The legisla-
tors are pretty good judges of news
matter and they are also perfectly
nognizant that the public doesn't want
to read about little congressional do
'ngs when war looms on the horizon
Therefore there has been mighty lit
tie doing up on the hill. Just as soon
as the tenseness in the Mexican situa-
tion relaxed. the legislators found il
convenient to break into print with
some good stuff. There was action on
the tolls repeal resolution in the Sen
ate, and step forward in the anti.
trust measures at both ends of the
Capitol.
Rep. Henry D. Clayton, nominated
recently as a federal judge by Presi-
dent Wilson, enjoys the unique dis
tinction of having turned down Unit
ed States Senatorship simply because
President Wilson wanted him to. The
President desired that Clayton, as
head of the Judiciary committee Of
the House, should frame the admins
tration's trust bills. The way had been
paved for Clayton to be elected Sena-
tor in his home state, but the repre-
sentative promptly withdrew from the
rare He has bppn of freunandouc ae.