South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-02-07
Prof. Jesse Vera of NOtre
Dame, Back From Trip,
Says Country is RouS-
ing Itself.

Never before in her whole his
tory has Mexico shown such signs
of industrial development as during
the past two months" declares
Jesse Vera, professor Of mathemat-
les at the university of Notre Dame,
who returned yesterday from Mex
leo after two months tour through
the heart of the country. The
stories of raids by organized bands
of highwaymen are pure fiction.
The nearest approach TO these raids
is found in a few daring and infre-
quent train robberies by bands of
three or four men. but even these
are fast being exterminated by the
new government.
Mines and oil wells are in full
operation, everything speaks of
prosperity. Enough men cannot be
had in any part of the country. La
Dor is well paid, and there is prac-
tically none of the extreme poverty
and hardship described in so many
present day accounts. The farmers
are no longer in constant fear of
! bandit raids. and the soil is every
where being cultivated with profit.
Gold Standard Medium.
Gold is found i'm great abund-
ance all over the country The trou-
blesOme paper money, which had
deprecated in value until the dollar
was worth only three-fOurths of
cent, has been put out Of circula-
ton entirely. All government debts
are paid in gold, as are the wages of
all workmen. \ premium of six
per cent is allowed on all gold pay
ments. one of four per cent on sill
YER The United States paper dollar,
although in free circulation, is COM
monty exchanged. not for two pesos
its face value. but for 1.S6 pesos.
This is merely a profitable scheme
for capitalists, who can obtain the
full value of the certificate at the
border.
The provisional government has
made wonderful strides in its work
of restoring the country's equilib
rum. | was told by the manager of
a great American farm syndicate
near Tampico that all his men were
hard at work. and prospects for
successful year are the best since
the company's organization. English
syndicates have purchased several
crude oil wells near Tampico, and
competitions between English and
German interests is keen.
Since the removal of Pershing
and his punitive expedition. the
popular sentiment toward the Unit
ed States government is very favor
able. The rumor that the new
government intends 10 ask a loan
from the United States has done
much 10 quiet any hostile comment.
II is the opinion Of the Mexican
press. as we'll as two German news
papers in Mexico City that the
United States will be forced TO enter
the world war on one side OF the
, other.
Railroads Keep Schedule.
The railroads are running their
fun schedules. TRAVELLING through
northern Mexico is just as unexcit-
ing and convenient as travelling
through northern Indiana Only
once during my entire tour did /
come upon the wreCkage OF a train.
The locomotive had been blown up
two days before by three bandits.
who had already been driven rom
the country. Every day long freishts
pull into Vera Cruz and Tampico
laden with inland products. 10 be
exnorfed 70 United states and E,u-
rope
zone OF the most peculiar condi-
tons is the great shortage of medi-
cines OF ali kinds. The compound
which in this country would sell for
So a bottle. in Mexico is cheap az
/ S25. The coast cities present a Won
| derful field for young chemists.
physicians. surgeons or pharmacists.
The government encourages III