The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-06-02
The City of Mexico
BY FELIX NIETO DEL RIO.
Written Especially for the Latin America
C..f.a~ nSu-

who block the passage at every turn, Is
forgotten i've minutes later. NJ. Signoret
had told me not to move except TO fol-
low him. to avoid the Inconvenience of
the crowds. A few minutes later he
beckons US to go with him. and to our
stalled in his luxurious automobile,
which carries US through we'll paved
streets and before beautiful buildings.
monuments and squares.
At length my old dream to know the
capital Of Mexico, the oldest, noblest
and most famous of all the cities in the
New World. has been realized. There
Is none that has such treasures OF
architecture and there are few that can
rival her for elegance. grace and dis
position OF her modern suburbs.
The City OF Mexico 10 the resumen OF
this immense museum of Indian and
Spanish art which II called the Mexican
republic, land of satisfaction for the
spirit and Of study for the sociologist.
In these wonderful days OF December
| / go out each morning to walk through
! the city and its outlying districts which
shine under the clearest sun and project
aut OF the fresh verdure.' The trolleys
pass. trolleys with their Indian names
which are so musical-Ttalpam. Atzca-
! potzalco, Xotctchimilco, ringing upon
the ear OF the traveller in an exotic
manner which Is incomprehensible to the
| Mexicans who do not appreciate the
! vibrant and delicate rhythm OF their
aboriginal language.
Volcanoes Feminine Form.
In the distance Ixtazhuatl is a white
shadow of snow that seems half lost in
the atmosphere. The reality of the
| feminine form in this volcano Is sur
l nrtginp ha
breast and tho head with the flowing
/ hair of the woman with her shoulders
, resting against the side of the noun
tain form a reclining body which gives
| the sensation OF eternal immobility OF
the death that has always been dead.
1t Is like the memorial OF complete
race that passes away. In the afternoon
this pure body becomes a vivid purple
and with the sunset becomes gray.
About the place the remains of many
old temples where the Indians used to
offer their gifts to the goddess of per-
petual tranquility have been found.
The City of Mexico Has three aspects !:
the immortal. OF the time of the vice.
| roys, where the palaces of the Spanish
| and Creole aristocracy are to be found !:
the poor districts. and that of the "col-
| onies." The latter is a new fashionable
| neighborhood where the people of means
4
where they have a system of wide
| streets like those of Paris.
| 1t has been said that Mexico resembles
| Lima. In its history, yes in its mate
riality not at ALL Not even the colo
| NAL buildings are similar. because while
Mexico erected her mansions Of cut
stone and her churches OF hewn stone
as they can only be made in Spain, the
| capital OF Peru. less elegant, built the
| 10 l-lo atA q
| opulent homes with less pretentiousness.
In Mexico there are many colonial
homes that can be compared for value.
| strength and style to that of Tore
| Taele. and there is none. not even In
Spain. that can equal Mexico for splen-
| dor in the celebrated House of the AZu-
leJos," which is at the same time the
! Oldest mansion in the city. There are
looks written about this house. not to
| narrate the delicacy of its construction
| and art, but to record the many Incl
dents and even tragedies that have ia
ken place under it's roof
Life OF Two Cities Parallel.
| The life OF Lima and that OF Mexico
| are parallel. The two cities had their
viceroys, their inouisition, abundant no.
bility. archbishops, and pious orders
| equally powerful, and clo!sters well en-
dowed with chsplaincies and entails,
| which was tho way the barous and the
ladies' had OF manifesting their piety for
| the salvation OF their souls. Lima and
/ Mexico were the favorites OF the Crown.
| and in one as we'll as the other were
| coupled the costumes with more or less
! rieor, OF the great Spanish lineage.
The Peruvian and Mexican traditions
| written respectively by Palma and Con
zales Obregon inform us of the extra
ordinary similarity in certain happenings
| that took place in Lima and in Mexico
| among the people of rank as well az
the plebeians. which demonstrate that the
| natives OF Lima and the Mexicans OF
those times were the most genuine heirs
OF the blood and customs OF the PENN
sula. while the other colonies, which are
to-day perhaps the most advanced, were
the simple captains of small provinces
| of poor revenue.
| To-day Mexico has almost one million
inhabitants. The revolution has obliged
no less than 100000 people to take
refuge in the capital when the outskirts
| were exposed to the dangers of the civil
| war The area OF the city does rot
correspond to this population and for
this reason everything and every place
ia crowded. Now that the activities of
the bandits have subsidized and are
limited only to districts far in the in
terror these people will no doubt begin
| TO return to the country and the little
towns OF the interior.
The density of the population OF the
city is felt everywhere: the main streets
need the policeman to say move on
and in the poorer sections the multitude
| is such that at any hour the sidewalks
and the middle Of the streets are always
crowded. About the markets, as In the
times OF the famous market of Ttate-
loco which Herman Cortes described TO
His Majesty the King. there Is a mixed
crowd Of ambulant peddleCs who install
their business OF fruits, sweets pottery,
Sc, on portable tables or on the side
| walk The custom of selling in the
| street IN this manner is typical OF
Mexico.
One cannot walk a square without
finding an extravagant collection OF
wares, which are generally edblos, OF
all colors, tastes and origin. The sweets
and preserved fruits, the manages OF
Manila" and even pancakes OF maize are
the objects OF trade of thousands OF
women and boys who Shout things that
arc quite unintelligtble
From the very first moment / could
not see that dead Mexico they had
spoken to me about. To the contrary,
/ find II smiling, gay. pleased with life
even the very poor who on account OF
their misery should be melancholc and
apathetic Ten Thousand automobiles
move continually through the streets
which are well kept. This animation
in the metropolis which they had painted
to me on the verge of despair after the
going and coming of armies, city battles
and all the revolutionary excitement