Imperial Valley press., 1920-08-19
CAN TU WITH
.E:X-OFF|C|ALS
WAVE AD|OS
TO MEXACAL|
Ex-Governor Says Burden
Lifted from his Shoulders,
That He Is Free to Join
Family. Wishes Successor
Good Luck.

Biding "Ad;os" to friends and rela-
tivcs in Mexicali and Calexico, ex
governor Esteban Cantu left for per-
haps the last time early this morn
ing the province of lower California
of which he has been governor during
the past six years.
Thus passes the regime of one of
the strongest self sustained plutocrats
that has ever been known to Mexico.
Esteban Cantu while primarily mil
itary governor, had the finesse and
polish and shrewdness comparable to
any of Mexico's greatest diplomats.
His trends were many, for did he not
hand out special privileges by the
dozen, money was plentiful for aside
from the thousands provided by spe-
cial taxes on cotton, cattle and other
commodities grown by Americans to
be marketed in the states, the gamb-
ling and vice concessions in Mexicall
and Tijuana provided millions more
for the iudicious use of the governor?
| Few there are who live in the
! border towns who do not appreciate
the reluctance with which Cantu re-
! linouished the reins of the govern
ment which he had so laboriously
builded up. Whether or not the re-
port of the arrival of 5000 federal
troops at Ell Mayor near the head of
the Gulf of Lower California, and the
arrival of General Rodriguez in Yuma
had anything to do with Cantu's hasty
decision to leave this morning or not
is not stated by his friends, but there
are numbers who have their own
ideas.
Accompanying ex governor Cantu
were a dozen or more friends and eX
officials. He stated to Press rep
resentative that he ''felt like a new
man, that great burden had been
lifted from his shoulders and that
now he was free to join his wife and
family in Ocean Park. Furthermore,
he said that he could not remain in
office for all time just to please his
friends.
Mexican business men who have
been in close touch with administra-
ton affairs in Mexicali state that
Cantu is not possessed of the wealth
that he is generally supposed to have.
One estimate given placed the ex-gov-
ernor's resources at $4,000. 1t was
stated that while he handled large
hsums of money he also spent vast
sums and that the expense of his gov
ernment was so great that personally
he had been unable to accumulate any
great fortune. Others who claimed
to know, estimated the governors
private fortune anywhere from $780,
900 to $6,000,000.
Coincident with the departure of
Cantu, was the expected surrender OF
Paul Dato to United States federal OIL
ficers who have had warrant for
his arrest on several charges Tor
some time. 1t was stated that bail
in the sum of $4,000 had been ar
ranged for, and that young Dato had
, voluntarily agreed to give himself up
this afternoon. Immediately upon his
formal arrest he will be brought here
and arraigned before Judge Cole.
Reports reaching Calexico this af-
| ternoon state that the new governor,
| Luis NJ. Salazar and his officials are
all agog over the arrival today IN
CaleXico of General Mendez and staff
of II officers. Governor Salazar
stated that he did not know who Gen.
eral MendeZ or his men We're, who
they represented or on what MISSION
they could be, but that he had issued
them a formal invitation to visit nm
this afternoon. U. S. Customs Off
cials said that General Mendez and
staff crossed the line at 2:3O this al
ternoon
LOS ANGELES, Aug. 19.-The
Mexican consul said today that the
provisional government of Mexico hao
decided to call a general election cary
next year in order that the, people OF
Baja California might select Their
own governor as successor of Cantu.
He said that this meant, practically.
the recognition of the territory as q
state as its present status would JUST
fy the appointment of governor, lie
also said that in all probability either
Almada or Former Consul Carpio will
be named to relieve Salazar pending
the election.
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