Imperial Valley press., 1915-10-22


Lower California. for abdication of his
position as military and civil leader
of The state, is the text of a report
received this afternoon. The report
appears TO be Will founded. although
no confirmation could be obtained.
II Is reported that Cantu has reject
ed the proposals of the Carranza rep
resentative and that he Will not abb
dleate under the terms named.
Instead. il is reported, he will hold
an election i'm Lower California. and
II at that time the people wish him
to he will conform to the terms laid
down by President Carranza
Reports from MexicaH this afternoon
Indicated that Cantu would not submit
without struggle if the Carranzistas
forced the issue.
Cantu's first statements indicated
that he would not recognize Carranza
until the first chief" had been elected
To the presidential chair by vote of
the people. Consul GARLIC of the Car
rama administration. whose headouar-
ters are at Los Angeles, is quoted as
saying that if Colonel Cantu had rec
ognized Carranza months aga he
would have been retained in his Off
cial position.
Because he hesitated to cast his in
terests with the first chief. he does
not stand the slightest chance of re
naming in command of the peninsula. q"
Consul Garlic says.
Governor Esteban Cantu will only
recognize an elected head of the Mex
ican nation. Should Carranza be chos-
en- president of Mexico at the election
TO be held next spring. the governor
! or the northern district of Lower Cali
tornia will recognize his authority, or
ne VIII recognize whoever is elected
His position is that he will preserve
ms territory in peace for the Mexican
people until constitutional government
is established and will then turn
the part of the peninsula he holds over
to the government.
Whether this program will be seri-
ously disputed by Carranza remains to
be seen, but the general opinion is
that Garranza will have other and
more pressing duties to occupy his at
tcntion until after the election. and
that cantu viii not be disturbed
A CaleNico dispatch says: "Adolfo
Labastida, who declares he has been
I
ceed Cantu, is storekeeper His an
pointment apparently Is not reIished by
the MeXicans Of MeXicaH. who remem-
Der that when Labastida was MAYOR
of Ensenada during the Diaz regime
ne sent an agent 10 MeNicali and car
ried away the funds Of the custom
house, leaving official MeXicali in dis
tress. when the disagreement between
Cantu and Balthazar Aviles arose, a
year ago, Labastida eXiled himself on
the American side and became a Car
ranzista. Some time later he went
ito MaZatlan, and soon thereafter sto-
ries of naval assault on Ensenada
with the storekeeper as admiral of an
armada began to be heard. 1t never
materialized.
1T is probable that Governor Cantu
will be supported in his stand by the
American growers and business men
here. Law and order has been main
tanned and the ranchers no longer fear
the depreciation of the military. Gov
ernor Cantu says here has not been a
single confiscation of property during
his term.
"The surprising thing about Cantu's
administration has been the number Of
public improvements completed since
he took office last November. Before
that time taxes, fines, fees and duties
had always mysteriously disappeared
into an apparently bOttomlesS sack
One of Cantu's first acts was TO move
the capital to Mexicali from Ensenada.
Since then he has built municipal
school, a new $1,000 bridge over the
New river so that traffic from the
west may enter Mexicali without GO
ing through the United States, has re
placed the vermin infested jail with
new sanitary detention place, installed
a sewer system and improved the wa
ter distribution and street lighting, and
built a municipal plaza. Besides he
has put business on a solid basis
through making all exchange in Amer
lean coin.
"The police system is also improved.
All government funds are now placed
ON deposit in American banks and can
be drawn out only by the signatures
Of Governor Cautu. Collector of Gus
toms Mendez aud Treasurer Pacheco."
A Los Angeles newspaper says: RE
garding the attitude taken by Colonel
Cantu. Adolfo Carrillo, Mexican consul
unfortunately the present governor of
Lower California had killed all possi-
bilities of being reappointed by Gen
eral Carranza.
"If Colonel Cantu had only recog-
niZed the Carranza administration 6
months ago, | have not the slightest
doubt that he would have been kept
in his official position" Senior Car
rilIo said. Because he hesitated to
cast his interests with the first chief,
he does not stand the slightest chance
of remaining in command on the pen
insula.
"a few days ago Jose Cantu, broth
er of the governor, came to see me
and offered to have Colonel Cantu give
an accounting of everything he has
done during his administration. l told
Senior Cantu that the matter would
have to be taken up directly with Cen
eral Carranza.
II am certain every act Colonel Cam
tu has done while in office will be re-
pudiated by General CarranZa. The
capital of Lower California VIII be re
turned Immediately to Ensenada and
a new governor will be appointed Col