Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-04-27
Richard Metca|fe, Friend of
Secretary Bryan, Lauds the
"First Chief"
SAYS CIVIL RESTORATION
IS AIM OF FOLLOWERS
On the Other Hand. He Asserts,
Military Supremacy Is Controlling
Thought in Villas Camp.

| 1tlchard MetCal1e or omana. Nep
former governor of the Panama Canal
Zone. close personal and political
friend of Secretary Bryan, has just
returned to Washington from Vera
Cruz. In an interview Mr.. Metcalfe
| censures Gen. Villa and eulogizes Gen
| Carranza.
| His observations are taken by per-
sons friendly to the Carranza regime
as indicative of a disposition on the
part of the Washington administra-
| ton to recognize Carranza. Mr.. Met
calfe protests that he is speaking no
| ones views but his own.
| In discussing the Mexican situation
he said. in part:
A Revolution of Ideas.
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 everything
| of military supremacy. In Carranza
territory one hears suggestions con-
corning constructive civil government.
When Villa captures abandons a
| town military tactics is the dominant
thought. When Ohregon, Carranza g
,, military leader. captures a town or
leaves it Carranza follows his military
chieftain and establishes civil govern
ment.
In the first place. there Is a military
point in this. in that Carranza obtains
local sentiment in his favor. In the
second placer perhaps I should say.
SO far as Carranza himself is con-
cerned most important of all-when-
ever his military chief conquers terri
tory and then marches on. Carranza
holds it by the establishment of civil
government.
Deplores Military Rule.
Some idea Of the dominant thought
of the first chief may be obtained in
the fact that he has issued a book for
the use of the school children of Mex
leo. which book Is entitled Ten Nota-
BILE Civilians In the Introductory of
this book he emphasizes the fact that
militarism has done great injury to
Mexico, and he deems 1t important to
impress upon the rising generation the
great service which civilians have rem
| dered to the people of Mexico. Car
rama is not a Senile old man. as one
writer has described him, think he
is just bit stubborn: but 1T is gener-
ally admitted in Mexico that he is an
| honest man. and l am sure that any
| unbiased judge Of character would say
| that, so far as concerns peace and con-
| structive government in Mexico, Car
\ rama Is the hope.
| During my sojourn among the Car
rama leaders l 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. Work
mems compensation and other reforms
with which American democrats are quite
| familiar, rather than military supremacy
were the subject of conversations when
one went deep into the confidence of the
| Carranza leaders.
| Advocates of Prohibition.
| II was somewhat surprised to learn
that the question of prohibition is upper
most in the thoughts Of these men, even
as it is among the leaders Of Russia and
Of England. They have in Mexico drink
called poulka. which is somewhat similar
to the Russian drink called vodka. 1 sat
| at luncheon with Carranza leader, who
| ordered literally of liquors, and he talked
| strongly on the importance of sooner or
later abolishing strong drink from Mexico
| When, at the close of his luncheon
ne ordered cognac brandy. l suggest
ed that he was at least an ardent pro-
hibitionist in theory. He added: L drink
from habit. ] would be poor leader
| indeed. if / were not willing to foregc
the small appetite | have in order to
| make my contribution toward perma
| HeIt eHOft country
! We have learned in Mexico even a.
| they have learned in Russia, and as
| sooner or later they will learn ir
| America, that there is nothing bu,
! waste to strong drink, and ] am per.
i fectly willing to foreso my own per.
sonal privileges in order to contribute
to the general good.
Carranza Gaining Ground.
This Is sample of the suggestion
one who goes in search Of real infor.
nation obtains in Mexico today Their,
Is no question that Carranza's military
| forces are gaining ground every day
There is also no question, so far a.
my own observation Is concerned
about the sturdy patriotism of tn.
first chief. and his ardent devotion Il
all that would seem to bring good tt
the people of his country. Carranzs
is not enemy of the United States
On the contrary. he is an ardent ad
mirer Of our institutions. He under.
stands thoroughly the line of demarca
= ton between the schools of Alexander
Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson Tn.
, Americans who hold high place il
: Carranza' s heart are Thomas Jefferson
and Abraham Lincoln. Mexico is ,
,, wonderful country. but 1t is in a de
plorable condition today. I beIiey,
Carranza, who prefers to be known b,
the plain American title of mister
| rather than general. will lead his peo
Ia ttf nee a