The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-08-08
THOUGHT HIGHLY OF PORF|R|O D|Az. Spanish Papers Filled With Laudatory Notices ELABORATE SKETCH Official Fl Imparcial of Madrid Printed Long Biography Marked
 by Praise and Ad-
 mirltion
ELABORATE SKETCH

Iadrid. July 15.=( (Correspondence or the Associated Press. )-The sympathy and warm regard of the Spanish peo- pie for the late Gen. Porfirio Diaz it seems, could have scarcely been great CT had he been a Spaniard. The news
 papers of the capital are filled with laudatory expectations of the things the former President of Mexico accom- rlished for his native land and refer to "the close ties of friendship and
 mutual understanding which always bound him to the mother country '' The morning after his death El Im-
 psrcial, which is almost official in character, published a telegram brief ly announcing the demise of the great Mexican. Under the telegram was print cd an editorial note: At the moment or closing the forms of this edition
 we received the above telegram. We have not time to render due homage
 to the good friend of Spain who has just died, but we shall do so tomor- row. It were debt of gratitude for our country to celebrate the praises of
 this man who loved it sincerely"
 Old Anecdote Revived
 True to it's promise, Fl Imparcial printed the next day long article hy Mariana de Cavia under the head ing, "A Sketch of Porfirio Diaz," which is full of admiration of the dead sol dier and statesman. The old anecdote of Bismarck is recalled-that the Iron Chancellor said of Mexico's man of iron; He is a man who should have
 been a German, and my successor To
 this story de Vavia adds another less familiar, to illustrate the pride of Don Porfirio in what blood of his was Spanish and in the common tongue of
 the new and old Spain.
 According to the story the shop keepers of the city of Mexico were wont to entice the trade of the many foreigners in Mexico by printing their l "Gringo o-English. On one of his daily
 walks the fact struck the dictator as incongruous that the shop keepers of Mexico should print their signs in | anything but the tongue of Herman Cortes-and his own. On his return to l "Cadena B." as his private residence ! was known to every shirtless peon of l the land, he sent for whenever hap
 pened to bear the designation for the
 moment of competent authority" | Solving Difficulty
 My dear governor" the President | is quoted saying. 'in a weeks time
 l want all the signs in this city in
 our ntional language" The governor
 objected that foreigners and foreign 1 companies had the right to have their signs and their advertisements in oth-
 CT tongues than Spanish and that, re- l specting the Mexioans themselves 1 there might be constitutional difficult
 ties in the way of the Presidents or | der.
 1 What you mean Is that such an or l der smacks a little too much of tyran- ] n.y." unused the dictator "Nery well | If Mexican citizen wants to use . 1 foreign language in his advertising.
 cannot constitutionally prevent it. Bu l you, as the head of the municipality can levy tax on the luxury of using z I foreign languages tax of four peso. l per sign, say. You know my wishes I my dear governor, the matter is 1T | your hands. Are we living in Mexico I or In Babe1?"
 For more than 30 years" writes Dc | Cavia, "he gave Mexico peace and witt l peace a wonderful development of tho 1 fertile riches of the country and 8
 solid responsibility before the world
 What an unhappy change since his de-
 parture! The anarchy in which Mex. 1 ico is plunged today is conclusive prooi -doctrinaire opinions and subjective | criticisms laid aside-that Don Por- | firio knew his complex and mixed l blooded people better than anyone else that he knew their oyerweening pro | pensity toward internal revolution wei | enough to apply to them this homels | rhrase favorite of his when speak | ing of his compatriots: When the bars
 of the corral are let down. the colts | go astray."