Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1915-05-15
CUMMINGS & RING
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CONDITIONS IN MEXICO
AS HE FOUND THEM
Statement by r. L. MeteaIfe Follow
ing Visit to Carranza Territory.

Richard L. Metcalfe, Of Omaha,
Neb., formerly Governor Of the Pan !
anna Canal one, who recently went to
Vera Cruz, Mexico, with Robert Pes
guerra, and Daniel Dillon, has re-
turned to Washington and has fur
nished the following signed statement
on conditions in Mexico as he found !
them.
THE revolution in Mexico, so far
as Mr.. Carranza and his followers are
concerned, is not only a revolution of
arms but it is a revolution of ideas.
In Villa territory one hears every
| thing of military supremacy. In Car
rama territory one hears suggestions
concerning constructive civil govern
ment. When Villa captures or aband-
ons a town, military tactics is the
dominant thought. When Obregon,
Carranza's military leader, captures a
his military chieftaih and establishes
civil government. In the first place
there is a military point in this, in
that Carranza obtains local sentiment
in his favor. In the second place, or
perhaps should say, so far as Car
rama is concerned, most important Of
| all, whenever his military chief con-
quers territory and then marches on,
Carranza holds it by the establishment
| of civil government.
Some idea of the dominant thought
| of the First Chief may be obtained in
| the fact that he has issued book for
| the use of the school children of Mex
| leo, which book is entitled Ten Not
able Civilians In the Introductory of
| this book he emphasizes the fact that
| militarism has done great injury to
| Mexico, and he deems it important to
| impress upon the rising generation
| the great service which civilians have
rendered to the people of Mexico.
Carranza is not "a senile old man, as
one writer has described him. I
think he is just bit stubborn, but 1t
| is generally admitted in Mexico that
i he is an honest man, and I am sure
that any unbiased judge Of character
| would say that so far as conceEns
peace and constructive government in
| Mexico Carranza is the hope.
| During my SOjOurn among the Car
rama leaders I heard much about con-
| structiVe government There are
many of his followers who are ardent
admirers of Henry George and who
| believe in a certain application of the
| Single Tax in the building of the new
Mexico. Workmen's compensation and
| other reforms with which American
| democrats are quite familiar, rather
| subject of conversations when one
went deep into the confidence of the
| Carranza leaders. l was somewhat
| surprised to learn that the question
of Prohibition is uppermOSt in the
thoughts of these men, even as it is
among the leaders of Russia and of
England. They have in Mexico a
drink called Poulka, which is some
what similar to the Russian drink
| called Vodka. l sat at luncheon with
a Carranza leader who ordered liber-
ally of liquors, and he talked strong
ly on the Importance of sooner or
later abolishing strong drink from
Mexico. When, at the close Of his
1 suggested that he was at least an
ardent Prohibitionist in theory. He
added drink from habit. 1 would be
a poor leader indeed if I were not
willing to forego the small appetite 1
| have in order to make my contribution
| toward permanent constructive effort
| in my country. We have learned in
| Mexico, even as they have learned in
Russia and as sooner or later they will
learn in America, that there is moth
ing but waste to strong drink, and 1
am perfectly willing to forego my own
personal privileges in order to con-
tribute to the general good
| This is a sample of the suggestion
one who goes in search Of real in
formation obtains in Mexico today.
There is no question but that Car
| ranza's military forces are gaining
ground every day. There is also no
| question so far as my own observa-
ton is concerned, about the sturdy pa
| triotism of the First Chief, and his
ardent devotion to all that would
seem to bring good to the people of
his country. Carranza is not an en-
envy of the United States. On the
contrary, he is an ardent admirer of
| our institutions. He understands
| thoroughly the line of demarcation
| between the schools of Alexander
and Thomas Jefferson. The Ameri-
cans who hold high place in Car
ranza's heart are Thomas jefferson
and Abraham Lincoln. Mexico is a
wonderful country but it is in a de-
plorable condition today. I believe
Carranza, who prefers to be known by
the plain American title of Mister
rather than General will lead his peo-
pie out of the Wilderness