The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-07-03
PORFIRIO DIAZ
 DIES IN PARIS
(Continued from Page One)

state the nature of the malady. but ex- pressed the opinion that complication of diseases due to advanced age was the cause
 Two tragic circumstances marked the death of the exiled ruler. owing to the troubled state in Mexico it has been judged impossible to send the body home with all that ceremony would have be- tstted one of the figures of Mexican hs- | tory and further Col. Porfirio Diaz, Jr.. | tried in vain to inform his sisters, Senora | Ignacio De La Torre and Sonora Rincon Galiardo, now in. Mexico. of their father s | death.
 No less tragic perhaps, is the fact that not one of those whom General Dlaz | raised up al his assistants in governing 1 Mexico and who prospered and grew rich 1 in the shadow of his greatness, were with l him when he died. Jose Yves de Iiman- tour, former Mexican minister of finance, l is in London: Francisco De La Barra I former provisional President of Mexico, and holder of other important positions and Gullermo de Landa, former governor of the federal district in Mexico. are in | Biarritz, France Scarcely any one out l side the family knew of the seriousness of General Dazs illness that he was in | Paris.
 | The end seems to nave been brought about by failure of the heart, weakened by an attack of grippe last year 1 This illness left the aged exile blind Nevertheless. he walked daily last spring | in the Bois de Boulogne, which he loved because 1t resembled the Chapuletepec
 in Mexico City He had been hoping to go to Biarrtz shortly, but illness pre- vented.
 | General Diaz lived here in simplicity. l pppHpyipo rfr ant ;,, tril- ing contrast to the great houses main tained by friends who fled Mexico with I him.
 No decision has been made concerning disposition of the body or the date of the | funeral.
 Was Born in 1850 ] General Diazs was born in 1880. His family were of old Spanish stock, with an infusion of Indian blood Left father less at the age of B. he was eouca,ed at the expense of the bishop of Caxaca with the intention of becoming priest, but he eventually turned to law and then. l at the outbreak of the war with the Uni ted States, turned to a military career. l He served throughout that struggle in a militia company which he helped or 1 ganze, and after peace was declared he made special study of military science. He and one other were the only two in l the country who dared openly oppose l the continuation of Santa Annas dicta- 1 torship His execution was ordered. but he escaped and joined Herrera's revolt | He speedily made reputation as a soldier, and as brigadier general he was
 the chief thorn in the side of the French
 forces when, taking advantage or the civil war in the United States, they att
 tempted to place Archduke Maxmilian of
 Austria on the throne of. Mexican em- pire.
 Diaz harrassed the enemy continually,
 and in June. 1867, captured Mexico City with his forces. On the re-sstablishment of the republic he was unsuccessful as a candidate for President, but in 1877 he
 was elected to fill the uhexpired term
 of the fugitive President, Laredo. His
 last and eighth election was in July, 19l0
 He resigned May 25, 1911.
 To Diaz was given credit for the ad-
 vance of Mexico to the status Of a stable. progressive and prosperous government
 although the autocratic methods he em- ployed were widely criticised.
 l In 1911 Francisco Madero, after being Imprisoned for entering the lists as a
 nndidate against Diaz fled to Paris and