Evening star., 1936-07-04
PLANNED
ITO PAC|FY MAyAS
Cardenas Hopes to Halt
Secession Sentiment
in YuCatan.

An independence movement a.
n,ong the Mdyds of Yucdtdn, pho
seek to set up a sovereign nation
under lhe protection OF the n'ted
States. is described here in sirth
and last of q series OF articles on
present-ddy Merico, tOritten by an
experienced neUSpdperman pho
has travelled mddely in that country.
BY GORDON GORDON.
MERICA, Yucatan, Mexico, July
| (N.A.NA)-The Mayas, descendants
of those people who built one OF
the greatest empires of ancient times,
want to secede from Mexico and
establish a sovereign nation under
| the protection OF the United States.
At least. that is the consensus of
considerable portion of the educated
Mayas and also of the descendants of
their conquerors, the Spaniards. For
almost a century they have dreamed
of restoring the glories of the ancient
Mayas in a country of their own, but
seldom has the fire for freedom burned
50 deeply as now.
To offset this movement, President
Cardenas is speeding plans for rail-
road which will connect Merida with
Mexico City. Government engineers
are penetrating into the jungleS OF
Chiapas and Tabasco on a survey Of
the proposed route. When completed
the railroad will be one of the greatest
engineering feats of all time for Mex
leo piercing as it will through here
tofore impenetrable jungles where
there aren't even cart trails and where
few white men have ever gone.
CardenaS firmly believes that, once
the railroad is built, the Yucatecans,
RS the people of Yucatan prefer to be
called, will forget their dreams and
become devoted to the republic. He
and other statesmen blame lack of
transportation for the separatist
movement. The only means of travel
at present are by boat and airplane.
u. S. Influence Large.
The American sphere of influence
has been far-reaching here. This
city is closer to New Orleans than to
Mexico City, and consequently. many
Merida students of college age attend
American universities, and the wealth.
Ter residents spend their vacations in
the United States. English is as much
q language with the educated classes
rs Spanish and Maya.
But there is still closer connec-
tion with the United States. Yucatan
depends upon the sale of hemp for its
prosperity and sells millions of dollars
of it yearly to Americans to be used in
the manufacture of rope. And Yucca
tan's back door, Quintana Roo, is en-
gagged in the chicle business. Market
ing the sap of the Zapote tree to
American chewing gum buyers.
Many Of the Yucatecans are con-
fident that, If Yucatan were under the
protectoTate of the United States, 1t
would enjoy better trade, would profit
by modified tariff regulations, and
would escape the heavy taxes imposed
by Mexico City. Some of the Yuca-
tecans, also are incensed over the
Socialistic program imposed on their
state, a program which is now being
expanded so that the government will
virtually control all hemp production.
The heirs of the Mayas are, by tenn
perament, rugged individualists and
most Of them prefer to operate their
own plantations in their own way.
A secret society flourishes here. 1t
Is the patriotic Yucatecans, and boasts
a membership of 80 900, or about one
third the population of this city.
While the figure Is believed by con-
servative observers to be ridiculously
high, the association is militantly ac-
tive in spreading propaganda which
glamorously pictures the one-time
greatness of the Mayas and how the
Yucatecans might again create the
culture and prosperity Of the old en-
pire. The society does not urge armed
resistance to Mexico. Its program,
on the surface. anyway, is confined
to educational lines. 1t advises that
Yucatan "be prepared and await a
favorable opportunity
Autonomous Once.
"Yucatan was an autonomous ma
tion at one time 1t broke away from
Spain when Mexico declared its in
dependence in 1921, but it did not
join the Mexican confederation. The
Yucatecans, though, didn't have an
army large enough to protect the coast
from the savage raids Of Indians liv-
ing on the nearby islands, and even
tually the republic agreed to enter
the Mexican confederation in ex-
LOST