Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-05-05
A POPULAR SOLDIER,

General Alvaro Oregon is the most popular
man in Mexico today and the strongest rival
Senior Carranza has for the presidency. He is
young-only thirty-seven years of age-and one
of the finest looking men L have ever seen. His
head and features perfectly modelled and
unlike the First Chief he is typically Mexican in
appearance. He is dark, wears closecut mill
tary mustache and has a determined chin. Al
the fact that he has lost his right arm, shat
together he is a dashing looking soldier, despite
tered battle against Villa. In manner, he Is
cheerful and unassuming as a boy, with in
exhaustbe fund of humor. His loyalty to his
chief and TO his friends is still unsuitable and
untainted by personal ambition. He was a wild
over with two children when the revolution be-
gan, but was married again only few weeks
ago.
He has also had college education and is
man of wealth, as he owns rich hacienda, at
which he has spent most of his life, devoting a
large part of his time to making inventions Of
farming implements. He has sold these to an
American manufacturing concern and reaped
large profits from them.
He never meddled in politics in any way, and
up to the time of the revolution his life on his
Sonora ranch had been peaceful and uneventful.
Then, when OroZco invaded Sonora, he took a
hand. He armed few hundred Yaqui Indians
and drove the great guerrilla chief from the
state That the beginning. He rapidly de-
velOped a remarkable military genius and has
been the most successful general of any who
have had hand in the five years of civil war.
This farmer, rancher, and inventor has never
lost a battle. 1t is a record he shares, in "a
smaller degree, with only two other commanders
in history-Caesar and Alexander.
AS military governor of Mexico City he exer-
cised an iron rule, but he did get order out of
anarchy and many undesirable citizens are no
longer walking its streets
For all his harshness, he is just. know that
from actual experience. An American friend of
mine Mr. Henry w. Catlin, owns large sugar
cane plantation below Vera Cruz He found it
impossible to get his cut this year for lack
of laborers Whenever he sent down gang to
work on it the local military commander would
round them up and clap them in the army. Sol
diers were needed to fight Zapata. This hap
pened three times.
So Mr. Catlin went with me to Obregon ana
told his story. The minister of war looked ugly
Before he said a word to Catlin he dictated this
dispatch to the local military commander:
Explain at once why you have interfered with
peaceful laborers in the performance OF their
work 1t must not occur again"
Catlin is now cutting his crop. Remember,
no Mexican has dollars interest in that crop
or in the plantation.
They tell you in Mexico City that Obregon is
destined to be, president. Ask Obregon and he
will smile and refer you TO the First Chief.
The other possible presidential candidate is
General Pablo Gonzales, the present military
governor of Mexico City. He also developed
unexpected military genius, but he does not look
the typical soldier like ObregOn. He looks more
like a Wall street broker railroad president.
He has well-merited reputation as an organizer
and executive. In fact, that is what he has been
all his life, and his experience in handling great
estates and managing large affairs is exceeded
by nobody in the republic. He has accumulated
large fortune and his wife, who is German,
is also very wealthy in her own right :.