New-York tribune., 1919-03-16
By /. !. de Becker

inc Whfu liner from Havana TO Vera
Cruz was II young American business
man returning to Mexico City after
sojourn in the United States who
WAS kind enough TO offer advice re-
garding newspaper work in Mexico,
"You periodistas come down here" he
said, "and see what you are told to
see, and then we show you what we
know you ought to see, and wait hope
fully for the result. 1t is always the
same Poetry about the beauties of
land and climate. Dull facts about
trade. Nothing that will help us, and
that should be. your first object"
Perhaps he was right, but, after all,
God helps those who help themselves,
and one could hardly avoid some men
tion of commercial affairs in writing
about the Mexico of to-day, while to
refrain from comment on mere physi-
| cal impressions would be to indicate
a degree of insensibility to which no
newspaper man willingly confesses. 1t
will be my aim, therefore, to touch
lightly on all the topics in which the
! American colony here is not interest
ed, at the same time to present fairly
and impartially not merely American
opinion, but that of the constituted
authorities, of the Mexcans of every
class, and in quoting others to avoid
reaching hasty conclusions myself. If
these letters give my own people
better understanding of their next
door neighbors to the south, the labor
will have been we'll spent. Certainly
the time has come to forget past differ
ences, to look to the future, to try to
qualify for membership in a we'll or
dered family of nations, whether that
family be ruled by the formal organ
common sense and simple code, such
as ga square deal for all"
Hardships of Leaving.
But enough of explanation and
apology. Leaving Havana is much
less agreeable process than entering
that delectable city. There is
long wait at the Machinery Wharf
for the inspection of luggage of
passengers either for Mexico or
Spain (why I do not know. On your
arrival a runner from your hotel takes
care of the customs inspections for
you, but on your departure you find
for YOURSELF and even the extreme po
liteness of Cuban officials fails to save
you from boredom, for you wait your
turn with 200 others, and it is q matter
vi CHdlltc WIiCu SGlS OllIOuEH liISI
Perhaps the embargo on gold is the
cause. The United States prohibits
citizens and aliens alike from taking
gold out of the country, and Cuba has
had to follow suit. Three years ago
every American tourist admired the
beautiful gold coinage of the island
republic. To-day all the gold has gone
into hiding, the ordinary currency be-
ing much soilcd American notes. At
any rate the inquisition as to the pos
session of gold. both in Cuba and in
the United States, is very strict. When
one has a passport setting forth that
he is going away to do newspaper
work the American customs officials
are likely to be lenient, however, and
in Havana ! was personally saved from
the inconvenience of search by the
statement that had been at the Hotel
lnglaterra. 1t seemed to be taken for
granted that the management of that
pleasant hotel would prevent any of
it's guests from taking away much of
the precious metal. Some Of the passen-
gers were less fortunate, but in due
time we were all aboard the Mexico
and Thursday evening the lights Of
Havana sank into the sea- and on Sat
urday morning, after steaming through
quiet seas, with much hcaving Of the
lead, we anchored in five fathoms ~
near tho Port Of Progresso as possible;
that is to Say. come five miles out
Tedious discharge Of cargo by lighter,
and Of passengers by tug meant hours
Of delay, and permitted the more ad-
vcnturous to- go ashore, and all to won
der that a port which had been for
half century second only to Vera
Cruz should be so i'll crowded with
accommodations for shipping
Prices Are Still at Top Notch
Progresso, be it known, is the port
of Merida, capital and chief city of
Yucatan, one of the most prosperous
of the Mexican states, and the centre
of the henequen industry. 1t is also
the natural port for the state of Cam
peche and the territory of Quintana
Roo, the former producing lumber and
having wealth of undeveloped forest
and farm land. Progresso has 1000,
Merida 10000 people, all dependent
upon imports for food. The greater
part of the Yucatan peninsula is a
low and rocky terrain, fit for nothing
but henequen, and with insufficient
rain for other crops. Economic CON
ditions have been unfavorably affected
by the war in Europe, which has sent
up the cost of living by depriving the
country of necessary commodities from
the United States, but in 1917 the de-
clared value Of articles invoiced at
the American consulate for the United
States was $35,SSl 1888 In that year
125,595 tons of henequon, valued at
S34, ,959,937 were shipped to the United
States, other exports being, III the
order of value, chiclc, raw cattle and
raw deer hides, coffee, logwood, hair
and sponges. Later figures are not
available, but sensational trend up
ward may be looked for in the next
few years.
In Progrcsso last Saturday the price
of shave was ST.; of a bottle of beer
90 cents; of a package of cigarettes
grading at cents in Havana. Is
cents; Of a pound of sugar, 25 cents:
of little dinner for four persons, $50.
Naturally, the price Of labor has risen.
aud with it the price Of hencquen, and
there is no probability of 4 return to
normal conditions until supplies and
shipping also return to normal. Mean
time, people are doing the best they
can. The Comision Reguladora del
Mercado de Hcnequen, Yucatan's state
commission for the regulation of tho
henequen market, not only fixes the
price of that product, but acts as
banker, and issues a paper CURRENCY
which 1T has managed to exchange
steadily at 80 cents American per peso.
The Comsion formerly sold in the
open market but srnce the entrance
of America into the war, has bar
gained with customers in the United