The border vidette., 1934-07-07
MEXICO ELECTS NEW
PRESIDENT

| NOiutlOO0ly NOVOI UA< VOAoy WoO
chosen as the 45th constitutional
president of Mexico in an elec
ton which reports from the prin
cipal cities indicated was the
quietest in the history of the
country.
Aided by the powerful political
machine of the National Revolu
tionary party, Cardenas, on the
basis of first returns tonight ap.
peared assured Of at least 80 per
cent of the total vote.
! General Antonio Villarreal,
candidate of the Independent De
mocratic Parties, was running
second. aud Col. Adalberto TIE
| jeda. Left Socialist candidate,
| trailed.
Police aud soldiers we're quart
cred in the capital and elsewhere
out were not needed. The cleo
ton proceeded without any dis
order whatever.
General Lazaro Cardenas, o
tall. strappinR, blackhaired man
of mixed Spanish and Tarascan
Indian descent. will bring to the
presidency experience gained
during 18 years of military cam
paiening interspersed with brief
periods of Office holding.
The general-who is 80 years
old-wiil be the youngest Of all
the nation's As chief executives
with the exception Of Francisco
I. Madero. Madero was 80 when
be assumed Office in 1911 after
heading the uprising which oust
ed Porfirio Diaz.
Cardenas was born in the will
age of Jiquilpan. Michoacan,
May 80, 1895. He attended
school until he was II and then
went to work in the tax collec.
tors Office to support his widow
ed mother and seven brothers
and sisters.
Later he became q printer and
the town jailer, but becoming
aware of the social currents
sweeping the country, be stole
away one night to become a
soldier.
With him went the lone prison
er 10 the Jail. and they were
| comrades in the evolutionary
forces waeinR guerrilla warfare
against President Victoriano
Huerta.
A year later, at 19, Cardenas
was made a captain of cavalry
and from then on he rose stead
| lily to become general in 1920.
He fought against Zapata and
against Villa and with Generals
| Carranza, Obregon aud Gales,
all three of whom subsequently,
were presidents of the Repub bile.
Four times be was near death,
twice from wounds, once by
drowning and once by fall from
a horse which permanently in
jured his left arm.
After a short term as prOvi
sional governor of Michoacan in
1920, be passed nine years as
military commander in various
states.
10 1926 be was elected cover.
nor of Michoacan. he dealt sew
erely with the Cath olic hurch,
aided the Indians by large grants
of land, encouraged industrial
development and built roads and
schools.
He left the governors post for
various intervals to combat the
Escobar revolution and to serve
as minister of the interior, pres
ident of the National Revolution
ary Party and minister Of war,
from which position be resigned
to become presidential candidate.
He will assume the presidential
post December 1.
He dresses simply, shuns pub
licity and social life, seldom
drinks and never smokes. He
lives in Mexico. D. F., with his
wife Sonora Amalia S. de Carde.
mas. Their son, born May of
this year, was named Cuahute
moe, for the last Of the Aztec
emperors,
Cardenas' political program
will include the five year plan of
the National Revolutionary
Party which has been described
by American Am bassador Jose
plus Daniels as "Mexico's new
deal aud square deal".
This program was laid down
long before the general was no
minated last December, n d
much of it has already been put
into effect by President Abelardo