New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1928-07-18
sketch of His Life

President-elect AlvarO Obregon,
first elected president of Mexico in
September. 1920, following the es-
tahlishment of a provisional govern
ment and the death of Carranza, be
gan his military career when he was
% years old. He had been stu
dent. machinist farmer and mer-
chant in Nogales, Sonora. the town
of his birth, where his family was
at the head of 400 neighbors to
protect their property from the loot
ing OF organized bandits. He was
medium sized stockily built, a fine
specimen of his Irish Indian blood
II has been said of him that he was
the only Mexican revolutionary
general who never lost battle"
The keynote to Obregon's charac-
ter he recently voiced in the follow
ing words: Il would rather teach
the Mexican people the use OF a
toothbrush than to handle a rifle.
| would rather see them in schools
than upon battlefields. / prefer any
day a good electrician. machinist,
carpenter, or farmer to a soldier"
His attitude toward foreign investors
was shown at the same time by his
declaration that "a country without
capital is like a body without blood i"
He opposed Carranza's foreign poll
cy and his antagonism toward the
United States.
Obregon in 1911. quelled the
revolution of Pascual Orosco in
Chihuahua. Later, when President
Madero had been slain and Huerta
assumed the presidency, Oregon,
who had retired minus an arm to
his farm, again became a military
leader. In 1914. he defeated Villa
at Celaya and Trinidad after SO DAYS
of fighting. It was as parties to
the Plan of Guadeloupe. by which
the rebels against Huerta's Dictator
ship took the name Of constitution
alists. that Obregon and Carranza
first met. When Carranza became
president he appointed Obregon his
minister OF war, At the Inaugural
ton, the general rode beside Car
rama in the procession in Mexico
City.
AS minister of war. in 1916, Obre-
gon went to the border and negoti-
ated with Major Generals Hugh l..
Scott and Frederick Funston for the
withdrawal Of the American troops
sent into Mexico shortly after the
raid on Columbus, y. NJ Sometime
later. upon visiting Washington, he
was the guest Of President Wilson.
Tile break betw cen Carranza and
Obregon came about two years later,
Obregon meanwhile having resigned
his post. On June /, 1919 having
returned to Mexico from a visit to
the United States, he announced his
candidacy for the presidency saying:
Il am. and will be. a faithful
friend to those who with blood and
Drawn answered the call of the
country against Huerta. who muir
dered Madero. But 1 will be the
enemy OF those who pretend that
their service must be paid for with
the same liberties which Huerta
usu-ped and which we swore to re-
turn to the country"
Obregon's pronunciamento, issued
from his farm in Sonora. angered
Carranza. He Immediately denoted
him from his title OF general of q
division to a lieutenant colonelcy.
The general had many supporters in
the Mexican congress, however, and
to some of them he owed his escape
early in 1920 from trap set for
him.
Obregon went to Cuernevaca
where he announced himself in SYM
pathy with the secession Of Sonora
which, on April II. had been declar-
ed by its Governor Adolfo de la
Huerta, because of a threatened in
vasion by Carranza troops Other
states followed the example OF Son
ora and revolted against Carranza.
Early in May Carranza fled from
Mexico City and Governor de la
accompanied by Obregon
and General Pablo Gonzales. entered
the capital. Governor de la Huerta
was chosen by the anti -Carranza
leaders as the pre-provisional pres-
dent of Mexico, pending an election.
General Obregon while declaring
he would take the field against any
foe in case Of intervention, for years
had expressed himself as friendly to
the American government. In
message to the American people in
1919. he disclajlned hostility to
America and pleaded fer a better
understanding between the people OF
The two countries. He challenged
The justice OF the United States SEN
ate's investigation of Mexican af-
fairs.
General Obregon was twice mar
red. His first wife, whom he mar
ried when he was 90. died in 1903
after two children had been born to
hem. a son Humberto and a daugh-
.er, Refugio. When he left the
army he married again, his second
wife being the daughter of Don
Fra ncisco Paia. of Sonora.
18th Assassination
BY the United Press
General Alvaro Obregon's is the
eighteenth important political assas-
that has stirred the world
'ince that unfortunate June 2S in
914 when Archduke Francis Ferdi-
'and of Austria Hungary and his
wife, Countess Sophie Chotek. Ouch
IS of Horenberg. were killed at
'erajevo. The other II follow:
191S-July 16-Czar of Russia
md family at Ekaterinburg.
191S-July 1S-Czar's brother,
irand Duke Michael Alexander.
191S-Oct. s-Hugo Haase, presi-
lent German socialist party at Ber-
in.
n