The Washington herald., 1917-03-04
SEEN AND HEARD BY GEORGE MINER.
Mexico's Fourth Centenary
Social and Economic Conditions as They Exist
t- Today in that Great Land of Adventure
Below the Rio Grande
BY GEORGE MINER
Copyright, 1917.

Copyright. 1917. by the Nc
They are going to have some pretty big
doings down In Mexico In a few days
Nothing In the nature of a revolution
either. Not a bit Of It Quite the con-
trary In fact for it is going to be q cele-
bration in which Mexicans Of all classes
and parties can Join and hurrah in unison.
It's their natal celebration. -Four hun
dred years ago this month Mexico was
discovered. Mr.. Francisco Hernandez de
Cordoba was the gentleman who did the
discovering. All he got out Of It was TO
have a city named after him. It isn't a
regular city either-only an adobe hut
sort Of place.
! / dare say that there Is not one man
in fifty who ever heard of Cordoba, much
less knew that he discovered a country
half as big as the United States. while
Columbus only discovered few little
Islands. Most people. II You asked them.
would tell you that Cortez discovered
Mexico.
That little news event happended 400
| years ago. but the same spirit OF ignor-
ance concerning affairs In Mexico today
dominates the folk in the United States
! right now. And 1t always has dominated
them. Somehow we always seem to be
wrapped up IN donse misinformation as
to what is going on in our sister republic.
For instance, how many people know
what Ii the most popular sport In Mex
leo?
Bull lighting. you would answer. or
polota.
Not at all
Bull fighting has almost died out and
there never was very much Of II there,
anyway. II was only carried on in q few
OF the big ciNes at certain intervals. The
situation is not in the least as it is In
Spain, where there is a bull ring in every
villa M Ia al
season for matodors. As for poiota II
never was a popular game. Only hand
full Of arIstocrats played It.
Baseball is today the national game OF
Mexico. In proportion 20 the population
1t is nearly as great favorite as It Is
In the United States. This liking for
achievements on the diamond has come
up entirely since the revolution and Is
growing steadily every day. The whole
country seems 10 be going mad over It
In many localities the government Of
ficially encourages the game, for be II
known that CarranZa and company do
not approve Of bun fighting nor OF cock
fighting and are doing the best they can
tc stamp those two institutions out OF
existence.
/ They don't refer TO baseball enthusi-
asts down there as fans" They call
them "hasebolercs." In connection with
the game they have also Introduced sew
eral American words into their language
They say "oLt" safe" and foul" and
several others,
So many reports about the distressful
conditions existing in Mexico are con-
stantly being printed that 1t Is refre shing
to hear some pleasant and encouraging
facts aboupt the situation. have just
received a batch OF inside Information
from a friend in Mexico City. VINO Is IN
a position TO know what is going on, ana
who is also as reliable as the rule OF
three.
He saws that under instruction from
First Chief Carranza the head of the
real estate department Is now returning
to the original owners a great deal OF
property that had been temporarily taken
possession of bv the government during
the revolutionary disturbances.
In other words they are giving back
property that they were accused OF hav-
ing confiscated.
That manufacturing has started up
again is shown by the fact that many
trainloads Of cotton from the Laguna
district have arrived in Mexico City TO
supply the extensive textile factories
there with raw material. 1t must be
remembered that Laguna is district
that was alleged to be thoroughly de-
rooraiized as result of Villas per
formances.
Gov Nireles. Of Coehu!a. CONSIDER
ing the feasibility of re-estabVBhine the
former free zone" along the bounadry
CT that state for the benefit OF the resi-
dents of that region. He believes that
this will assist n restoring normal con-
citions to a marked degree. 1t is eS-
actiy the same idea that the joint COM
missioners suggested be put in opera
ton along the entire border by both
countries.
Some alarmists would have US believe
that Villa and MS bandits have put
large part Of northern Mexico out OF
business. This IS d'sproved by the fact
that heavy importations Of mining ana
agricultural machinery are reported from
all ports of entry in that section OF the
republic, to meet the demand caused by
the resumption OF activities in those
two lines of work. Shipping cotton and
importing machinery does not look as
il the people there were very badly
frightened
An independent company with large
capital has been organized and has begun
operations in the installation of extern
siye works, tanks and so on for handing
petroleum at the Port of Progreso. Yuca-
tan. This Is one OF Gen. AlVarsdo's pet