The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1921-07-24
Madero Said "a Per Cent
Of His Countrymen
Were Illiterate
RELAPSE TO PRIMITIVE
Teachers Are Generally
Old Men and Women
Worn by Struggle

ga ~ ~
u me- came to power 10 years
~ admitted that Si per cent OF
X" ."rntr,non were illiterate, and
~ n,s ,.,,ur, was liberal underesti-
Today. after n decade OF
civil strife Vagcd almost always
49, larbarous conditions not
only is tho total of iiiiteracy over
air.irr but whole communities,
where once law and order prevailed
and peaceful progress was IN the
air have rylapscd into primitive
sayagory or worse. 80
might, it | chose, strengthen TINS
statement by the confessions OF
many McNioHus, who In the last
drradc and under the most unto
Nard conditions have labored to res
enc their Duuntrymen from the de-
ING of ignorance that threatens TO
anrIlf them Few, however, GER
,aiply no Mexican who loves his
country. viii venture to challenge
my statement and ! prefer to let m!
s,afcmrHt go unsupported rather
k,bau add 10 the difficulties OF those
who have spent the best years OF
their lives I'm seeking to remove the
existing national and social handi-
cans OF their people.
Ignorance IL the mother evil Of
nil NrXicu's sorrows. Even should
the agrarian questions he brought
10 a sane solution and the tenure
of land bee Justly apportioned with
ou, upsetting the fundamentals OF
law and order and credit. as Is at
present threatened, no permanent
advantage will be gained as long
As 95 per cent of the population
remain the shackled slaves of the
mast. For the past cannot be wiped
out through the enactment of laws
which ONLY civilized and an eff
cient people could turn to profit.
Digging down into the wreCkage
of p9st Civilizations one morning at
Atzcapat2alco the pessimistic view
Of the situation came to the front.
In nine feet we ran through the
eross-sactiou story of three Civili2a-
tons ,hS Aztec. the Toltec and the
pre-Tnltcc. as the assembled arch
aeologsts roughly agreed.
our Aztec digger brought to view
with almost every shovelful of long
undisturbcd earth a smashed Gran
fun or a fractured skull. Those of
us who tried to take a cheerful view
Of the past insisted upon the ex-
panatory indications of volcanic
ash or water deluge. But these
were rudely dismissed by our Mex
lean mentor, who, holding up one
skull after another, would assert:
This poor dcvil was given his qui-
ems centuries ago by the sharp
stroke Of an Aztec battle ak"
As We dug on a more pleasing
picture In pottery was disclosed
The contcrpicCc was "A great earthen
vessel as graceful in lines as an
EtrusCan vase. Careful digging
showed It TO bo a sacrificial urn be
fore household altar. In the cup
\otsaCrifice were the kernels of the
Pom that had been offered up To
[broptiate the offended gods. Down
below came to view the still uncon'
sumed charcoal OF the long dead
fires The Scotch archaeologiS,
was moved.
Poor creatures Of the long ago
be murmurcd. They We're offer
Ing up sacrifice TO the gods of peace
when war broke over their little
hamlet
Grind NJ Machine Guns Breaks In
Perhaps replied the Mexican
professor, "hut more likely they
were offering up prayers for the
Victory Of their men, who were on
the war trail when their little fort
rcss village was captured by sur
prise and all its inhabitants dis
patched with the battleaxc."
The Scotch professor was bring
Ing his treasures up carefully oF
OF the trench when suddenly there
came over the valley from San Bar
tolo the rattle Of musketry and the
regular grind Of machine guns. We
crouchcd back in the excavations
the buried past than our bodies. al
more TO protect our treasures from
least so the Scotch professor as
serted, and soon the little affair
vas over, The people OF the neigh
horhood satisfied our curiosity a.
70 what had happened in the near
by hamlet
1T vas a band OF hungry IA
lalstas' they asserted, who tried
70 loot San Bartolo. But some ont
\ had given the plan away. They rar
.to the machine gun nests and 81
,Hill never see their caves in the
yA!usco mountains again"
NN l'hNA ht lOi'lE Itl - " ~
very much distressed at this breach
OF ihr peace and the Scotch pro
iessor rpmmcuteA severely upon 4
having taken place on the Sabbath
ny the Mexican professor was more
philosophlc
We have had no fighting around
,he city for a week" he dlscoursed
ana ! have thought IL was overdue
tot several days" Then, with some
u"hg Ike vrNation in his voice anC
manner, he added You will. | trust
pardon me II | say in my judgmen'
sl4 foreigners, and particulari!
sou Americans, are almost ahsurdll
vp"hIsln about the outcome o'
uihss in Mexico. You are always
,.1hlns about peace and hoping tina
" VII! come, but you do not TAX,
..lo account the fact that we unfor
.luale MeNlcans are descended from
tNo OF the most ar-loving and fe
.'lols peoples known to the history
w western world. mean, o.
"utsc. the Aztecs and the Spanish
oAqulS,aiores. Perhaps We shall
"a!e peace in Mexico some day, bu
~ tor a thousand years at least,
,t"o1Id say. II will take a long, Ions
"ie 70 calm down our choler. viii
We IN Mexico to breathe Is TO battle!
-, Inc Educational Problem.
HH me following morning, how
,,tSe' ! heard the optimistic view o.
w edlcauonal situation from Jos,
,onDelos, the rector of the uni
,srSty the righthand man OF Cen
20, ou'rg in such matters and
vas well known. the soon-to be