The Washington herald., 1916-12-21
Seen and Heard :
BY GEORGE MINER.

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BY GEORGE MINER.
New York, Dec. 2o-Zacatecas is
one of the states in Mexico from
which the bandit pest has been .climi-
mated. That being so the owners Of
big industries there are anxious to
get the wheels of production turning
again. The state contains large min
ing districts and the mine operators
have presented to the governor a me
mortal reciting the various obstacles
, in the way of resumption of work.
Of course the government wants
mines to start up work again and so
it has set about to remove the OBJ
stacles as fast as possible. These OBJ
stacles, mining men tell me, have
largely to do with the labor problem,
but they believe the trouble can be
remedied if the government is serious
about it in a short time and that in a
few months mining will be in full
operation through out the entire state.
This will be good news for a number
of Americans who have interests
there.
Last winter the typhus ragged in
Mexico City and was one of the most
serious problems they had to combat.
The director of the health department
of Mexico City now reports that the
typhus has diminished 80 per cent and
that the spread of the disease has been
successfully combated. That should
! buck up the Mexicans lot and re-
move the dread that was widespread
over the whole city last winter.
Although great many Americans
are still doubtful about the stability
of the Carranza government I learn
from reliable sources that several for
eigners, who are important in busi-
ness affairs and have lived in Mexico
for many years, have recently been
legally naturalized as Mexican citi-
zens. They believe in Carranza, any
way.
The old Spanish conquerors of
Mexico and the priests who built
those beautiful churches would turn
in their graves if they knew to what
utilitarian purposes some of their
masterpieces are being put. For in
stance, they have installed a wireless
telegraph station at Guadalajara and
the towers of the famous old cathe-
dral are being used as the posts. I
presume that act will be the basis of
another indictment that the Catholic
Church will bring against the consti-
tutionalist government. No other use
of the cathedral is being made at the
present time. 1t Is one of the closed
temples and I think is among those
that were denuded.
You would not think that the people
would take very kindly to enforced
military education in Mexico where
they have had not much else but war
for six years and so the announce
ment that military instruction is to
be instituted in the public schools of
Sonora comes as a bit of shock
Even small boys are serving in the
Mexican army and the entire male
population has had more or less ex-
perience with military affairs.
Teaching them to drill now is like
teaching a college professor how to
SPELL However, the order came from
the First Chief and is supposed to be
the forerunner of an order to make
military education universal If they
are not yet sick of soldering down
there they ought to Be.
I have seen boys not more than IL
years old marching in the ranks of
veteran regiments and standing guard
at railway stations and other impor-
tant points. In some cases the MUS
ket would be taller than the boy. In
addition to that weight to lug the
young soldiers would have a cartridge
belt around the waist and one over
each shoulder. These belts were all
filled, too, with regular ball cartridges.
The weight must be a pretty good
load for a full grown man.
How those little boys managed to
stand up under it is more than 1 can
understand. They certainly are a
tough race.