Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1922-03-10
WHY YUcATAN's LIFE HANGS
BY A FIBRE

How political and economic changes
in one country often depend upon
conditions in distant land are
brought out in a bulletin issued from
the Washington, D. c., headquarters
of the National Geographic Society
on Yucatan, which dispatches from
Mexico describe as now being "a lit
tie Russia.
1.-THE story Of Yucatan in recent
times says the bulletin, "is the story
of henequen fibre. Offhand that doesn't
seem to affect the average American
to any great extent. But it does effect
him every time he buys a loaf of
bread. The story might be framed like
that of the house that Jack built Hen
equen means reasonably cheap and
plentiful binder Irvine; binder Irvine
makes possible the use of harvesting
machines; harVesters cheaper grain
production; cheap grain means cheap
bread; and so henequen-and arid Yu-
catan-play important parts in feeding
America and the world.
THE other side of the story-the
rapid development of the henequen
industry and the pouring of wealth in
to Mechanically from the grain
belt of North America=undoubted eddy
played its part in swinging the poll
teal pendulum from extreme feuda-
ism to a close approach to socialism.
! "Henequen, which is a sort of cac-
tus not unlike the century plant or the
'pulque cactus in appearance, had been
grown in Yucatan since prehistoric
times and its fibre was used in local
plantation and village industries. But
there was no outside market of con-
siderable magnitude for the fibre un-
til the ncreaseing use of harvesting
machines in the United States created
a demand for large quantities Of bin
der Irvine.
Before what may be called the
'henequen era in Yucatan a traveller
in the country might have imagined
with few concessions to race and eli
mate-that he was in the heart OF
Europe's old feudalism. Some of the
principal land owners had truly baron
ial estates through which one could
| travel for days. On the most extensive
estates were scattered half a dozen
or more great stone oastle-like ha,
| ciendaS in the care of major domos
In these sumptuous dwellings members
of the owners family might not spend
night a year, for they lived for tbs
most part in state in the capital, Ne
rida, or spent their time treyeling II
Europe or the United States. In those
days cattle raising was the chief in
dustry in Yucatan and prosperity
never reached below the few member.
of the propertied class.
Climate and physical conditions
gave Yucatan its feudalism. The sur.
face of the country consists of only
the thinest of soil and underneath Il
porous limestone. The climate is DIR,
and hot half the year but there is
reasonable amount of rainfall durinl
the other six months. Yucatan. is onI
of the few areas In which there is al
, appreciate rainfall but ne streams O
even stream beds. As fast as the rail-
falls during the rainy season it seep
Through the thin soil and soaks int,
the limestone. The lack of surface wa
ter and the fact that hardly anv foot
crops can be grown on much of Yucca
tan's poor soil made 1t practically i'm
possible for the poems to exist exeep
under the wings of the great iandhoid
j ers.
THE latter constructed capaofeu
reservoirs at theih haciendas in whiel
enough water was stored during tn
rainy season to supply all their re
tainers through the six months dr.
period. The situation was helped ouI
too, by the cenates, the UNIQUE waite
holes of Yucatau, apparently ferme
by falling in of the roofs of subter
| ranean lakes. In most cases thes