Evening star., 1920-03-22
FIRST BIG GREETING
GIVEN b0N|[LAS IN
MEXICAN CANVASS
Ambassador to U. S. Center
of Demonstration in His
Fight for Presidency.
By the Associated Press.

| MEXICO CITY, March 22.-Thou
sands thronged the streets yesterday
to greet Ygnacio Bonillas, Mexican
ambassador to the United States. who
has announced his willingness to be-
come the presidential candidate OF
< the civilian party in the general cleo
| tions July II.
The demonstration was considered
as first real presidential campaign
| gathering and as marking the climax
| of the preliminary canvass. few
slight disorders were quelled by
mounted police.
Newspaper comment and published
! interviews with other candidates and
government officials indicate the pres
Bonillas and Alvaro Obregon. with
partisans Of Pablo Gonzales waging
a more or less extensive campaign.
| Gen. Obregon, whom opponents have
| been attacking as a militaristic can
didate. has been touring the country
and speaking for more than four
months, while Gonzales has contented
| himself with the formation of po-
| litical clubs and the distribution of
| campaign literature.
| Attitude of Newspapers.
| In this city two newspapers sup
port Obregcn, two support Bonillas
and the Carranza administration and
| one IdNOfS 1OuLdlcS. lie TWO OIHeT
newspapers are neutral and have been
carrying sections devoted to the ac-
! tivities of each of the three leading
| candidates. The civilian party has
been the only one to adopt the United
States practice of buying full pages
in neutral newspapers for political
advertising.
| Platforms announced by the candi-
dates all declare for the maintenance
Of Mexican national rights. pacif1ca-
ton of the country and other gen.
eralities. Platforms, however, are
virtually negligible. since the cam
paign is being waged on personalities.
Obregon's supporters declare that the
| Carranza administration is opposing
the generals candidacy and is using
Bonillas. These charges. together
with intimations that Bonillas is in
eligible for the presidency, and that
he is not a Mexican citizen. have been
denied by civilian party leaders and
government officials. The claim that
he is the candidate Of the Protestants
also has been met with vehement
denials.
! Gen, Federico Monies. former gov
| ernor of Guanajuato. who was the
leading spirit in the recent conference
here of sixteen state governors, has
declared the sole purpose Of that con-
! ference was to guarantee free and
orderly elections. He recently re-
signed his post as governor to take
an active part in the campaign of
Bonillas.
| Orderly Elections.
| Luis Cabrera, secretary of tho
| treasury, generally considered
spokesman for the government, has
been quoted as stating the admins
tration not only intends to assure or
derly elections, but to deliver to the
successful candidate power to con-
| duct a successful administration. Gen.
Monies. who is a stro ,g administra-
| ton supporter, recently declared the
governors conference showed tho
| state governments were strongly
aligned with the Carranza administra-
| tion and determined to carry out its
policies. which. he said, had been sue
cessful.
Summarizing the successes attained
| by President Carranza, Gen. Monies
declared:
president Carranza's promise to
pacify the republic and turn over
strong administration to the successful
candidate Is already virtually fulfilled.
During the last year the most danger
ment have been eliminated, these in
cludinE Zapata, Banquet, Alvarez,
Garcia, Arenas, Angeles. Ce3udo and
Palafox. while others. such as Peleaz.
are without resources and anxious to
surrender.
During the present administration
great strides have been made in re-
covering to the nation its sovereignty
over national resources, including petro-
leum. Constituttonalist administrations
! have been erected in all states, the
! army, consular and diplomatic services
have been reorganized. the nation was
kept neutral during the world war, no
| new debts have been contracted. but
plans are being made to pay old foreign
debts. and the dangers inherent in the
situation in Yucatan have been elimi-
mated by the dissolution Of the fiscal
commission. Land Is now being d.
vided among Mexicans who formerly
| could not own 1t.
| Aguilar Supports BoniIlas.
| Candido Aguilar, son in-law of Presi-
las governor Of the state Of Vera Cruz.
lis supporting Bonillas, having declared
| strongly for a civilian president and
against the policy of giving the presi-
dency as a prize to successful military
leaders He says such a policy was
conducive to the spread of rebellions.
All three candidates. however. claim
to be civilians. both Obregon and Con-
| zales having requested retirement from
the military service.
It was recently reported that sup
porters Of Obregon had uttered
threats that revolution would result
should their candidate be defeated by
unfair means. Little fear has been
! aroused, however, in either business
or official circles. since it is the gen.
eral belief the country is tired of
warfare and anxious to continue the
work of reconstruction.
Early in the campaign belief was
expressed that the present adminis-
tration would hold over and that no
new candidate would be elected. This
impression has virtually disappear
ed, since entire faith has been placed
in President Carranza's reiterated
declarations that he will not hold Of
Ace a single day after the expiration
of his term. It is the common belief
here that the coming elections, while
thew will result in a change in the
presidency. will not bring alterations
tinted nor in the policies followed by
CarranZa.