The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1917-11-17
GIANT TASK OF
RECONSTRUCTION
BEFORE MEXICO
Country Is War Worn, Hungry
and Nearly Bankrupt.
Want americans TO RETURN
Government Urges Foreigners to Re-
open Mines and Restore Industries
People Making Sincere Effort to
Return to Peace and Prosperity
Villas Haunt Is Still Isolated.

Northern Mexico again Is safe In
spots, and almost sane. Banditry no
longer is profitable. Towns and ranches
have been looted and reiooted until
there is nothing left worth taking.
Foreigners, except the Germans, who
were driven there for safety, have
abandoned the country to its fate and
starvation faces the whole people.
Unable to get food from the United
States, Mexico now has begun to raise
its W food. Order has been restored
in many parts of the republic, more
especially in the states of the north,
and men who for six years have given
no thought to peaceful vocation now
are working in fields, mines or fac
tories and are contributing their labor
to the efforts of the government to
restore normal conditions in the coun-
try.
World conditions make the task of
rehabilitating Mexico a gigantic M
The country has no finances, and be-
cause of the war cannot borrow where
formerly money was easy to. obtain.
The Carranza government, failing in
every effort to float a loan, has ap-
pealed to the patriotism of the people
and has started a campaign for o
popular oar which all classes are
supposed to help raise, workers by
giving a portion of their wages, sol
diers by r~elinquishing one days pay
each month and mining and ranching
onrnnaniaS ranrnhnntc n,nnJJfon turoro
and bankers by submitting to increased
taxation.
Progress Is Still Slow.
Apparently a sincere effort is being
made by Mexicans generally to return
; TO peace and prosperity, but the diff
, culties are admittedly great, and re-
ports from interior states show that
progress is slow. The greatest handi-
cap is the refusal of American and
British mine owners to reopen their
properties. Despite claims set forth
by the Mexican governments publicity
department that all American-owned
mines in Chihuahua have resumed ac-
tivity, most of the American mining
men who formerly were in Mexico now
are in Arizona, New Mexico or on the
border, operating mines on the Ameri-
can side or waiting for Mexico to lift
the heavy burden of taxation which
has been placed upon foreign-owned
mines by the Carranza government.
The cry of. Mexicans for a Mexico
for Mexicans" has been answered.
| There are few foreigners in Mexico,
although now there is apparently a
! disposition by some former foreign
| residents of the republic to return
there.
Americans who have returned from
trips of inspection into the interior
| say anti-American feeling appears to
| have subsidized and that in its place
now is q desire to get the American
money which once made Mexicans
prosperous.
The states of Chihuahua and So
nora always largely dependent upon
foreign money and foreign energy to
carry on their industrial activity are
bidding now for a return of the Amer
leans. In Sonora the notorious Cam
era de los Obreros or labor council
which proved so troublesome to Amer
lean mining men by its demands has
| been abolished by Gov. @. G. Soriano
in an edict just issued at Hermosillo.
In place of the obnoxious council has
been substituted a committee of con-
Citation appointed by the state govern
ment which has none of the arbitrary
powers of the former council.
Sonora mines, notably the Cananea
properties the largest in the state.
show no signs yet Of resumption. but
Mexican officials say they have been
encouraged to believe that a general
resumption of mining is shortly to be