Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-03-10

= OW General Alvaro Obregon, now
II President of Mexico. changed from
a. - hot anti-Americanism to hearty ad-
miration anC goodwill for this country, is
Interestingly told in the current Review OF
Reviews by Agnes G. Laut, who writes from
extensive first-hand observation. Beginning
his career as an unpretentious farmer in
Northern Merico, where he served as Col
oneI' in the home guards and thus acquired
the rudments of military training, Obregon
grew wealthy through wise management and
popular through. fair dealing With less for
tunate neighbors and with poems. Naturally
it was not 4iffcult for him to rally fol-
lowers when he joined the revolution. He
was the honest, bluff, brutal. successful SOL
dier,'' we are told, "and he was the only
general who could ever defeat Villa, which
explains why that worthy took to paths OF
peace as soon as Obregons staI was in the
ascendant It seems. however, that he was
deprived of due credit for his victories, Car
rama himself stepping in to take the plaud-
its and rewards which his fighting lieutenant
deserved Continued treatment of this kind
at length drove Obreg.n out of public al
fairs back to his farm. Prior to this he had
been exceedingly prejudiced against the
United States. 'The Colossus of the North.
who had gobbled up Texas and Arizona and
New Mexico and California, thus had he
been taught to regard our nation by the
Hchenzollern propagandists who were then
actlV0 III MEXICO. but ne ueClueu, III HIS SEA-
son of leisure, to go to the States and see
for himself what the country and people
were like.
"He visited the army contonments pre-
pairing soldiers for Europe" says Miss Laut.
"He saw Americans as they were-not
Colossus of the North wanting to 'gobble
Mexico up hut the majority of them not
caring a boot for Mexico one way or the
other, provided they let up on border raids
and quit killing foreigners. He saw, per-
haps that whereas fifty thousand Americans
had been harried and driven in ruin from
Mexico, the United States had sheltered and
prospered one hundred thousand expatriate
Mexioans. He must have seen the contrast
between the .orth and south side Of the in
visible boundary. On one side OF the lilo
Grande were cotton fields like garden,
schools everywhere, no nakedness, no pow
erty, no hunger. II you have been south OF
the Rio Grande, you know what he saw
there: three-fourths of his countrymen, in
the richest country in the world, always close
to the dead-line of hunger So impressed
was he with the good nature as we'll as
prosperity of the countrys rank and file who
came under his observation that, whereas he
had come "anti-gringo,' he went home pro-
American-so substantially pro-American
that he entrusted his money to American
banks, his affairs to American managers,
and began talking American friendship to his
people
Highly ortlnate it is for all interests that
General Obregon took up the difficult tasks
of the Mexican presidency with this under
standing of his neighbors to the north. 1t
will save him many blunder into which
otherwise he almost certainly would have
fallen; it will make for international con-
cord and cooperation, where clashes and
red conflict might otherwise have come to
pass. Lack Ct under :tanding causes most OF
the trouble between nations as between per-
sons. There is no inevitable reason why re-
lationship between Mexico and the United
States or between Japan and the United
States or, for the matter Of that, between any
groups of peoples the world around, should
not be harmonious. Men can get vast deal
more out of the earth and its fulness, vast
deal more out of their economic and social
institutions, vast deal more cut of every
province IF human life by working together
for their great common interests than by
fighting for little greeds and jealousies. But
they cannot see in particular Instances (and
1t is the PAL ocular instances which make up
history and life) that this is true and prac-
ticable unless they know the facts about one
another. We 4nstinctively distrust what we
do not understand; and it Is but a stones
throw from distrust to hostility. Most for
eigners would appear very home-like If we
dwelt amongst them. We ourselves, bear in
mind, are foreigners to the world which does
lot know us; are peculiar in speech, in
manner and dress and point Of view. But in
the fundamentals humanity. not all
the sons of EN- much alike?
Certainly they have common needs, COM
MOI opportunities, and a common debt to
the Heavens who-e rain is sent upon the
just and the unjust. Oregon spared himself
and his countrymen many mistakes and
pains by substituting knowledge for preju-
dice; and SO will all who are more eager to
understand than to blame or ate.
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