El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-07-04
GREAT DRAMA
BEING PLAYED
Scene Is Along 1910 Miles
Of Mexican Border in
Largest of States.

Washington. D. c.. July Many in
terestinE facts about the border states
Of the United States and Mexico have
been compiled and issued by the Ma
tional Geographic society as a war ge-
ography bulletin on that section Of the
continent to which the national guard
has been ordered. The bulletin gives
the following comparative statistics
While the whole OF America is VI
tally concerned in the present Mexican
situation. the great human drama is be-
ing enacted along the 1910 mile bound
airy line which separates the four
American border states OF California
Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. and
the five border states and one territory
of MeXicO-LoWer California, Sonora.
Chihuahua CoahuiIa. Nuevo Leon and
Tamaulipas. The area OF the Ameri-
can border states is a little more than
One-siTth the total area OF the United
States, including Alaska. vIhile the
area OF the Mexican border states is
more than three-sevenths the total
area OF that republic yet the territory
embraced I'm the bounds OF the Ameri-
can states is almost twice as extern
sive as that Of the six political divis-
ions OF the smaller country
Largest States Are on Border.
The population OF the six Mexican
states is 1000 compared with
6,S00.000 on the American side. the
former constituting about one-ninth
the four American states ave only
about one-fourteenth the total popula-
ton OF the northern republic
1T is an odd coincidence that the
four American states on the border
are. with the exception OF Montana and
the territory OF Alaska. the four largest
political divisions in the union. while
three Mexican border states-Chihua-
hua. Coahuila and SonOra-and the
territory of lower California are. like
wise. the largest divisions Of that re-
public
Border States Once in Mexico.
All OF the American border states
were a part OF the Mexican nation up
TO the middle OF the last century. when
Texas seeded from the southern re-
public and subsequently cast her lot
with the United States. Other terri
tory was acquired in the war Of 1s4S.
the boundaries being fixed by the
treaty Of Guadalupe Hidalgo which
followed, and by the Gadsden pur-
chase
The Rio Grands forms a natural
boundary line OF more than 100 miles
separating Texas from the Mexican
states Of Chihuahua. Coahuila, Nuevo
Leon and Tamaulipas while the ar
bitrary boundary OF nearly zoo miles.
zigZagging from FL PasO to a point on
the Pacific coast about 10 miles south
Of San Diego, separates New Mexico,
Arizona. and California from Chihua-
hua, Sonora and Lower California
Five Great Railways Involved.
Five great railway arteries over
which has flowed the commerce OF the
two republics and which are OF vital
importance in all military operations,
cross the border at Brownsville, La
redo. Eagle Pass and Nogales- The
corresponding Mexican towns are
MatamOrOs, Nuevo Laredo. Ciudad Por-
firiO DiaZ. JuareE and Nogales the
last named being bisected by the
boundary line The main lines OF four
Of these railroads run in a general
north and south direction through the
states OF Sonora Chihuahua. CoahuEla
and Nuevo Leon. but the line which
crosses the Rio Grande at Brownsville
runs west from 1Iatamoros through
Tsmaulipas. Nuevo Leon and Coahufls,
turning to the southwest at Torreon
and extending through the state OF
Durango.
The mouth OF the Rio Grands, which
marks the eastern end OF the bound
AIRY, Is more than $50 miles nearer the {
equator than the western end OF the
line"