The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1920-10-22
FOR OBREGON

s
FUTURE HEAD OF MEXICO
HAS HARD TASK
Must Rescue Nation Beset With
Constant Menace of Intern
al Strife
Mexico City. October 12.-ICorre-
spondence OF The Associated PressA
Mexico is Frightening up. II may
be said, by the safe token, that Mex.
leo also is "pdcking up" both socially
and commercially. The old timers,
both Mexicans and foreigners. whe
have seen ten years Of revolution,
hesitate to venture guess when
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. I
Is Is five months now since Venus
tiano Carranza fed from his capital
ented" Mexican presidents. 1t is
four months sine Adoifo de la Huerta,
his successor took, the oath of office.
And In a little over month, Aware
Obregon. president elect, will assume
the char, which, II Obregon is a
strong enough man, he may occupy
for four years. So 1t may be oppor.
tune to take stock of Mexico today.
It should be said, in justice to de la
Huerta, that provisional government
Of only six months duration Is con-
fronted with administration difficult
ties which cannot be eliminated in
such a. breif period of time. These
difficulties will be Obregon's heritage
1t Is UP to Obregon to rescue Mexico.
II 0bregoR fails-but that is peering
into the future. This is a story of
the present. /.
Capital 10 improved
The improt led conditions through
out the republic are reflected parti-
cularly, in Mexico City. 1t is not so
much any great tangible achievement
that appears reassuring, for such
vital reconstruction problems as the
railroad situation, finances, ETC., still
remain to be solved, but 1t 10 the spir-
1t of optimism, the belief that a bet:
ter day has arrived, that impress one
now in moving about the capitalA The
people seem better dressed and OF
lighter frame of mind. They seem
to have more money to spend Bust
ness Is improving The town is clean
or. The depression of many years
duration is beginning to lift. Mexico
City presents the bustling appear
ance Of metropolis going to work.
Motor cars so throng the streets that
the traffic problem is the most criti-
cal in history. The hotels are full,
either with Mexicans who have re-
turned from abroad, or with foreign
ers, principally Americans, who come
to seek business opportunities
The beggars, It is true, are still
with u.s. In fact. they seem to have
increased, percefving that their field
prosperity. They range from the
small children, who. since the In
creased American influx have in
say, Hello, meester, please gimme
creased their income by learning to
nve cents, to the old men and wo-
men in gags who extend their palms
with sHpplications "a Dios". There
is one, singularly successful, who
waits until the traffic cops stop"
sign has halted the long stream of
automobiles on the main thorough
fare. Then he passes from car to
car, collecting from all occupants who
are touched by his appeal. The gov
eminent has made no attempt to ELI
minae the beggar annoyance.
6andifs Are Gone
Inc most signal achievement of the
provisional government. as President
De La Huerta remarked recently to-
foreign correspondents, is the pacifl-
cation OF the country. It ia the feel
ing OF safety from bandits and rebel
bands that formss the basis of the
newborn confidence. But reconstruc-
ton has been started In many lines.
such as the paving Of streets, the re-
duction of the army and, the reorgan.
tzation of the customs service along
the bored. Orders already have been
placed for new railway material. in
Guiding locomotives and freight cars
though the national treasury does not
permit all Of the necessary expendi-
lures along the channel.
Construction men declare that more
building Is being done today tn.
any time in the past six years. One
builder considered his work so mr.
gent that he ordered a large supply
OF cement from the United States 10
sent by parcels post, not wishing to
be. divided into small packages and
wait on the slow freight service
Business between, Mexico and the
United States is on the upgrade. the
American Chamber Of commerce esti-
mating that the trade of the two
countries will reach a value of $500
100000 for 1920.
BultdS For Future ~
AS regards the bigger problems. n
appears now that the most OF them
will be left for the attention of Obre-
gon, who will be able to build for the
future with more certainty than de-
"a Huerta. 1t is expected, too. that
Obregon will surround himself with
almost a wholly new cabinet, which
tends to slow up the plans Of some
government departments. Obregon's
task will include the upbuhding Of
the railroads, the settlement of the
OIL controversy the meeting of claims
Tor losses suffered by foreign nation
ais. an arrangement to begin, nav
ment on the national debt and the
reorganization of internal finances
II is q herculean task that confronfs, !
Obregon, but will have peacefui,
increasingly hopeful snation to deal
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