Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-07-06
By AGNES c. LAUT.

Oregon is today the dark horse
of Mexican politics. He is the dark
horse of Mexican politics because
whether he wins or loses when he
runs for president, his success or
failure will alike create dilemma
from which there is no escape. And
Oregon never fails. Even his enc
mics admit that: and no man in
Mexico has more bitter enemies or
more loyal friends. He is no half
way kind of man. Carranza fears
him and gave his support to Pablo
Gonzales, who is reputed to be a
blood relative of the first chief, in
order to create a counterfeit against
Dbregon. If Obregon won as presl-
dent the Carranza- Gonzales faction
would fight him, in spite OF con-
stitution guaranteeing elections as
the expression of the peole's choice.
Villa fears him. He is probably the
only man in heaven or earth, or an
other place whom Villa does fear;
and Villa has twice come within an
ace of shooting him, once in Ch1hua--
liza, once in Zacatecas. If Villa and
Angeles win with the whole Madero
party behind them, there is still
Obregon to be reckoned with. He
will not support Villa, and he will
not support the Carranza- Gonzales
Aguilar family junta. And he is the
only man who can control the va
qiis; and the Yaquls have never yet
been conquered by any man.
I. Health Only Weakness.
THE one joint of weakness in his
atmor is his health He lost an arm
and he is an ill man. Apart from
that he has escaped death by a hair
bpth by bullet and secret poisoning
so often that his followers consider
hS has a charmed life.
,,.He has made serious mistakes as
oil strong, quick, actors hedged by
treacheries are prone to do. At one
stage in his career, he could save
himself from the Carranza junta
dhly by a quick alliance with the
I. w. WIS, and he got the support
Of 100000 of them before his enc
mics knew what he was doing; but
that antagonized the conservative
middle class business men. At an
other stage in his career, he was in
furiated by the Catholic church get
ting a loan of 80 million pesos for
the Huerta crowd; and he waged a
furious campaign against the church
in politics. That antagonized an
other powerful group. Then he was
violently proGerman and anti
American. The Germans were win
ming and Obregon had been brought
up on anti-gringo school books,
nourished by gringo hatred in his
own heart; and that inspired bitter
enmity among the Allies. Yet when
Oregon came to know Americans
and visited American environments,
in spite of himself, he became the
trusted friend of Americans; and to-
day he does all his business with
Americans and his financial agent in
America is former editor of
New York paper, who now handles
all Obregon's funds through an Ari-
zona bank. 1t is safe bet if Obre-
gon could go back five years and
rescind all he said against Ameri-
cans, he would go back and sponge
out the foolish words of an angry
threat about running all Americans
-put of Mexico"
Loyal to Friends.
He is loyal to the death to his
friends, and relentless to his foes,
and just as relentless to his follow
crs, who fail. Here are two or three
stories to illustrate his traits.
A great many friends will protest
they will die for you; but when it
comes to S. bill, they are not sure
they want to live for you. That
isn't Obregon's brand. Once when
Villa had Obregon in his power in
Chihuahua, he happened to have on
his person in gold and negotiable
bills 10000. 1t is also a safe wager
Villa did not know that money was
on Obregon's person. Obregon sent
for the American newspaper man,
who is now his financial agent. IF
they get me-" he said, they will
also get my subordinate officers.
They are poor. Their families will
be left destitute. Take that ="
handing the American the $4,000,
"and if am bumped off, distribute
il equally among the families of
the officers"
That is one side of Obregon's
character. Here is another. On one
occasion, he had in his car several
representative of the foreign en-
bassies from Mexico City. There
had been a battle. A MORALLY
wounded peon was bowling at the
top Of his voice for his mother.
Does that blank fool think l am
an incubator" he asked, and
through the car window by one we'll
aimed shot, the wounded crier was
: stilled forever.
Twice Ordered Shot.
Or take down in Mexico City
Qbregon's forces were encamped
out San Angel way. There had been
d battle. The houses of the neutrals
all round were filled with the
wounded and dying. One house
had not room for another soul. A
peon was dying outside the walls.
A servant, who could not stay to
keep the dogs off ran to head
quarters to report the man. One of
Obregon's captains came back with
an orderly to look at the man. He
took one look. The man could not
recover. Kill him WE'LL" ordered
the captain; and one blow put the
peon out of misery. Oregon may
or may not have issued the orders.
His captain was Yaqui; and it was
the Yaqui code:
Twice Villa had the death squad
sesdered to shoot Oregon; but he