The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1915-11-02
A Big Task For a Little Man.

Senior Venustiano Carranza has had his snare
of ups and during the last five years OF rev.
olution in Mexico, but his real troubles are only
beginning The recognition of his government by
the other republics of the Western hemisphere and
eventually by the nations Of the whole world
clothes him with responsibility such as few states
men have ever sustained. There is considerable
doubt expressed as to whether he has the capacity
to measure up to the difficult task he has assumed
Mexico is a great nation, and its regeneration
out of anarchy and chaos will be work of amaZ-
ing magnitude. Half million of its most intelli-
gent people are in exile, most of them in abJect
poverty. In all that land where, five years ago.
$1,000, 900 satisfied human beings lived the life
that pleased them best, hacienda, farm or ranch
is in possession of its rghtful owner, no crop has
been allowed to mature, new crops have been
planted In 1910 there were $40 900 owners of land
in Mexico. Where are they today? The country
has been swept clean of live stock killed for their
hides by thieves stolen and shipped to the United
States for cash by the leaders of the "lberating"
armies.
The poems have ceased to work. They have
neither the strength nor the disposition to labor
There is, in fact, employment to be had except
in few industries controlled by American capital
lists The women and children who make up the
food lines in the cities those who still have
strength to drag themselves about and to wait
hours for nothing at all or more than hand
full of precious corn. Carranza and his followers,
who despoiled Mexico of its food to line their own
pockets, have driven back our Red Cross and
posing as benefactors themselves The press is alb
solutely shackled. The existence of mildly
independent newspaper is inconceivabe.
Carranza now has the opportunity of repairing
some of the havoc he has wrought. The division
of the spoils of Office will doubt form his first
difficulty. He is surrounded by host of advent
urers, as ambitious and greedy as himself, who
will not be easily pacated. The recognition of his
government brings him face to face with formi-
dable difficulties which he must surmount or con-
fess defeat The national debt which, on June 30,
1910 amounted to $219 100000, is now estimated
at 81 900 100000 gold. This estimate includes
$3.50 900 600 indemnities to foreigners for losses
during the last five years of revolution and $780,,
100000 for the retirement of paper money issued
by the revolutionsts In the last year of the eco
nomical Diaz regime the cash revenue was $685.
5000. and the cash disbursements $95OGO,O 600.
The new government will have to raise probably
three times the amount of revenue raised by the
DaZ government to meet the interest charges on the
old liabilities and the foreign loans which
must be effected. How it can do this when all the
sources of revenue are crippled is not clear.
Then there is the present fatalistc apathy
of the great bulk of the people to be overcome,
and their awakened energies employed in product
i've labor which must be found for them. There is
danger to Carranza in this awakening The peo-
pie are filled with slow burning resentment of
his relentless destruction of the church in Mexico,
his constituencies persecution of the priests and
endeared to them by long years of religious
association and consolation. A government of
Mexico which is dominated by the church cannot
endure, but any government which endeavors to
destroy and drive out the church will destroy it.
self Here is a rock upon which Carranza is likely
to wreck his ship of state even more surely than
land reform financial reorganization divis
ion of the political spoils.