New-York tribune., 1919-03-16
Mexico Ready TO Meet Fair
DeuICOdeErOm UnitedStutes
Structures Against Southern Republic Are Grossly
Exaggerated Says W ritter Who Is Investigating
Conditions for Tribune

1
Is fully awake to the need of better
port than Progreso to drain this vast
| territory, and this is e matter which
will be considered AS soon az the
financial problem now harassing all
Mexico is solved. For the present the
cost is prohibitive. Water Is shoal
along the greater part Of the Yucatan-
Campeche coast, and the planter | have
already quoted estimated that the mat
ter of piers and breakwaters at any
site he had heard of would involve an
expenditure of from 100000 to 50,-
600, ,000 pesos.
Fuel is of course at a premium on
the peninsula, and explorations for
petroleum continue, although without
success, so far as the public has been
permitted to know, to date.
At Vera Cruz one passes the customs
with not more delay or inconvenience
than in Havana
Mexico's chief seaport has a capa-
cious harbor protected by break
water and with forty feet of depth
in the basin, enabling the largest yes
sells to lie up against the whaves.
| Normally the population is about
10000. During the period following
the evacuation by the American troops
under Funston it was for time the
headquarters of General Carranza,
then First Chief of the Constitutions
alists. Nearly 100000 people, includ-
ing the larger part of the American
colony from Mexico City, crowded it
for time, and melted away when
General Carranza returned to the re-
it is clean and seems prosperous. Ex-
ports to the United States during the
six months ended June 30, 1918. had
fallen to $2,086,3S0, as against ST.
242,7Sf for the corresponding period
of 1917, SO there still is abundant
room for improvement.
One of the oldest and most typical
cities of the Spanish regime in the
republic, Vera Cruz deserved more
time and study than l was able to
give it, but have reason to be thank
full for having disregarded the advice
Of we'll meaning friends to enter
Mexico via Laredo rather than Vera
Cruz if | wished to keep my skin
whole.
Bandits Still Active
A favorte topic Of conversation on
the steamer had been the frequency
with which the Vera Cruz Mexico City
train had been held up by bandits. and
the ever accurate returning business
men had stories of wrecked stations,
derailed cars and engines and the
swinging cadavers of bandits who had
been caught and shot, which were to
be seen all along the route. We we're
told that 1T would be the part of wis
dom to buy drafts on Mexico City in
Vera Cruz, because while it was prob
able that we might get through in
safety, it was certain that if we were
stopped the bandits would take what
ever money we had with us. and Ger
talnly our luggage, and perhaps our
clothing.
This lurid fiction was not without
a foundation in fact. 50 long as the
central government was too weak to
protect itself against the bands of
patriotic "istas," whose argument in
favor Of universal freedom was the
indiscriminate destruction of what
ever property could not be carried off.
the Vera Cruz line was the subject of
attack. They did hold up trains, rob
the passengers, burn the stations and
blow up bridges. Where they got the
dynamite is still a mystery, but they
got 1t. And they used it like cowardly
assassins. But reservlng the privi-
lcge OF special chapter on bandits at
some later time, ] can only say that
from all accounts the route via Laredo,
is perfectly safe in these days,
and that had | listened serivously
to all these friendly warnings I
would have missed seeing the most
enchanting and ever changing vis-
tas Of always lovely landscape
1t has ever been my good fortune to
behold. would have missed the
glories of Ori2aba, Mcxicos highest
mountain. would have arrived at
old age without ever being on a rail
way train from 6:15 8. m. to p. IN.
under circumstances which made every
moment of daylight a delight and the
coming of the darkness a source of
regret. | give the figures as a gentle
suggestion for emulation on the part
OF our own railway administration, for
the train left Vera Cruz on time and
arrived in Mexico City to the minute.
Bearing in mind the warning that
periodistas from New York are too
much given to describing the beauties
of the country, | refrain from telling
of the contrast as the train rushes
through the hot zone back of Vera
Cruz, through the temperate climate
where the character of vegetable life
completely changes, until an altitude
is reached at which wraps are essen
tlal to comfort and perpetual snow is
in sight.
Perhaps it would be more worth
while to tell why the journey is now
safe. Will not say of the scenery, as
Dicky Davis did of the coronation of
the late Car, that it is indescribable
but in making the attempt there would
be danger of falling into poetry, like
Mr. Wegg.
Credit Given General
Credit is due in the first place to
General Candido Aguilar, for some
time Foreign Secretary in President
! Carranza's cabinet, and now in charge
of reconstruction work in the state of
Vera Cruz. l had the pleasure of
meeting this gentleman during a brief
stop at Cordoba and later, of visiting
IN his company new aviation camp
which is being constructed in order
to provide strong corps Of airplane
scouts for mountainous districts. He
impressed me as being what we call
at home "a live wire" Young hand
some and energetic, he has been put
ting into effect a policy of combined
concilation and force which is now
bearing fruit. Popular with the people
of every class, among whom he has
wide acquaintance, General Aguilar
has encouraged them to return to their
customary vocations,. and scores OF
miles of land cultivated like vast
market garden testify to his success
in this respect. But the nature of the
country is such that a Jesse james
gang would be much at. home. Be
tween stretches of highly cultivated
farms are mountains WHICH afforded a
safe refuge to outlaws Who struck at