New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-05-28
Oregon, the Handy Man
By MARK $. WATSON.

N tober after the recognition of Venus
N tiano Carranza as the First Chief Of
Mexico. to observe what manner OF leader the
United States had aided with the stamp of its
approval The Primo Jefe and his party were
due to reach Northern Coahua in the early
stages of a swing around Northern Mexico
and in one Of these dirty little Mexican towns,
still little bit undecided whether II was
ViIlista or Carranzista or Huertista or Ma
dcrista. plans were being made for the recep-
ton of the dc facto head Of government
Present and prospective oficeholders were
busily engaged in stirring up whatever en-
thusasm could be rallied for CarranzN. They
were erecting gawdy archways Literally IN
scribed with laudatons of the First Chief, to
whom the eulogies ascribed the most inspiring
virtues. The newspapers were filed with the
gories Of Carranza. Dodgers advertised spe-
cial events in honor Of CarranZa. Everywhere
was the name of Carranza, and nowhere was
mentioned the name of any other in his party
The train came. Recollection is that 1t was
four days late. which is not bad for Mexican
railway OF stepped General Carranza and
his military and civil aids, and up the street
they moved in tumult of ragged soldiers and
more ragged civilians, detected horses and
burros. frantic, yelping dogs and heavy clouds
Of dust The curious thing is that within
few minutes every native in that town APP
reared TO have seen all that he wanted of First
Chief Carranza and was trailing admiringly
after a member of his party who had not even
been mentioned in any of the circus adver-
Using.
This popular idol was much younger than
Carranza, much smaller of stature and glrth.
Also he had lost most of his right arm. His
name was Alvaro OhTegon, commander of the
northern forces Of the Constitutionalist govern
ment.
The more seen of Obregon he more strongly
came at that time the realization that Obregon
would be man to watch carefully in the tut
ure. As he walked, little pompously, about
the streets crowds gathered to watch him, some
times A bold one daring to speak to him and
receiving smiling greeting from the sturdy
soldier. When the crowd was sufficiently large
Obregon would be asked to speak and he usu-
ally did. almost always in an easy. chatty style
interpreting his remarks with an occasional
lost which set his hearers off in roars Of de-
light
II was noticed, too, that Carranza spoke lit
tie. He is not an orator and he knows It, and
leaves his speechmalIing to those better quail
fed for this duty-in which, it might be men
TONED. Carranza is almost unique among Next
cans.
People who never liked Carranza and could
sec no good in him have been predicting for
months that Obregon is the next IN line ana
that he is only waiting his time to seize the
mower. Maybe it is so, but any one who knows
Mexico knows that admirable opportunities
have been given to Obregon already, and have
been declined. for no obvious reason except that
Of LOYALTY TO his chief Making Obregon
unique among Mexicans?" suggests friend
but that is not fair TO the better class Mexican.
Alvaro Oregon has great deal to com
mend him. although it is difficult to convince
Mexico City of any truth in that assertion
The capital saw Obregon in the terrible days
Of "pacifcation," more accurately described as
tho DAYS of savage punishment of the city
which had already suffered sufficiently at the
hands Of the rebels whom 0bregon and his
fellow commanders drove out OF the ancient
canital. Specification" it developed meant the
most outrageous punishment of political foes,
and incidentally entailed keen suffering by the
innocent The "pacifers" were at times quite
impartial in the selection of victims for their
numbering and robbing and raping. Residents
who had seen Don Porfrio in his palmy days
and had seen the weakly Madero driven TO his
death bv Huerta, and had seen what followed
the Dccena Tragica who had gone through the
forays of Villa and Zapata-even these lifted
their hands and swore that Obregon allowed
worse behavior by his troops than had any OF
the others Mexico City has reason TO recall
that period with sorrow.
None of that disproves Obregon's claim on
the affections of the north, which has suffered
so impartially from all the revolutions that 1t
feels no worse toward Oregon than toward
anv one else The admiration the northern
Mexicans feel for Obregon is natural hero
worship for a man who has leaped into public
attention in time even shorter than Is the
Mexican hero's average.
Aware Obregon was born thirty-eight years
ago in the State Of Sonora, the Maya country,
where he inherited a profitable farm, married
and started to rear family. That wife died,
leaving two children, the elder of whom boy
is in school in New York Only within recent
weeks Oregon remarked, choosing this time
a Sonora beauty, Senorita Marie Tapia, edu-
Gated in San Francisco. Previous to 1910
Oregon had followed the family tendency and
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