The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1920-10-22
OBRECON FACES GIANT ~.
PROPOSITION IN MEXICO
Conditions in South Republic
More Hopeful, But Await
ing u. S. Recognition
BY Ralph II. Turner

NCAACV NAVY wv. i q. Wy A'AoAA' }
Mexico is Frightening UP. 1t may
be said by the same token, that Mex
leo also is picking up, both social
~: and comm ercially. The Old-tim-
ers, both Mexicans and foreigners,
who have seen ten years of revolu-
ton, hesitate to venture guess
VIXEN asked how long this condition
will continue, but they do not deny
that Mexico today ~ is more wide
awake, more cheerful and looks to
the future with more confidence than
at any time in the past eight or ten
years.
1t is five months now since Venus
tiano Carranza fled from his CAPT.
Rand passed into the limbo OF
slate, lamented" Mexican presidents.
It is four months since Adolfo dc la
Huerta, his successor, took the oath
OF office And in little over a
month, Aware Obregon, president
elect, will assume the chair, which,
If ObregOn Is a strong enough man,
he may occupy for four years. So it
may be opportune, to take stock Of
Mexico today.
( 1t should be said, in Justice to de
laN Huerta, that provisional gov
eminent of only six months duration
is confronted with administration
difficulties which cannot be elimin-
ated in such a brief period of time.
These difficulties will be Obregon's
heritage. 1t is up to Obregon to res
cue Mexico. If ,Obregon fails-but
that is peering into the future. This
Is a story of the present.
:: The improved conditions thruout
the Republic are reflected particular
ly in Mexico City. 1t is not so much
any great tangible achievement that
appears reassuring, for such vital re-
construction problems as the rail-
roa0 situation, finances, ETC., still re-
main to be solved, but it is the spirit
Of optimism, the belief that bet
ter day has arrived, that impress
one now in moving about the CAPT
tai. The people seem better dressed
and of lighter frame of mind. They
seem to have more money to spend.
Business is improving. The town is
cleaner. The depression of many
years duration is beginning to lift.
Mexico City presents the bustling ap-
pearance of metropolis going to
work. Motor cars so thrOng the
streets that the traffic fproblem~is the
most critical in history. The no
tells are full, either with Mexicans
who have returned from abroad, or
with foreigners, ~princip3l1y Ameri-
cans, who have come to seek business
opportunities. >~ ="
The beggars, it. is true, are still
with us. In fact, they seem to have
i~yin hnf hoir fold
is more profitable with the dawn Of
prosperity. They range from small
children, who, since the increased
American influx have Increased their
income by learning to say, Hello,
lneester, please gimme five cents to
the old men and women in rags who
extend their palms with supplica-
lions "a Dios," There is one, sin
gu1arly successful, who waits until
the traffic cops "stop". sign has halt
ed the long stream of automobiles on
the main thoroughfare. Then he
passes from car to car, collecting
from all the occupants who are
touched by his appeal. The govern
nient has made no attempt to elin1in-
ate the beggar annoyance.
The most signal achievement Of
the provisional government, as Pre-
sident de la Huerta remarked re-
Gently to foreign correspondents, is
the pacification of the country: 1t
is, the feeling of safety from bandits
and rebel bands that forms the basis
Of the new born confidence. But
reconstruction has been started in
many lines, such as the paving of
streets, the reduction of the army
and the reorganization of the GUS
toms service along the border. Ord
ers. already have been placed for new
railway material, including locomo-
tives and freight cars, though the
national treasury does not permit all
OF the necessary expenditures along
this channel.
Construction men declare that
more building is being done today
than at any. time in the past six
years. One builder considered his
work So urgent that, he ordered a
large supply of cement from the Unit
ed States to be divided into small
packages and sent by parcels post,
not wishing to wait on the slow
freight service. Business between
Mexico and the United States is on
the upgrade, the American Cham
Der of Commerce estimating that the
trade of the two countries will reach
a. value of $32O,OOO,OOO for 1920.
i AS regards the bigger problems, it
appears now that most of them will
be left for the attention of Obregon,