Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1938-11-06
By Blair BoHes.

the Grand Cross of the Military Order
OF Christ of Peru and holder of the
Grand Cross in the Order of the Sun of
Portugal. He is a grand officer in the
National Order of the Legion of Honor
of France, grand officer of the Spanish
Republic and knight commander Of the
Spanish Red Cross.
He wears his decorations lightly. He
comes from simple stock. He was born
50 years ago in Durango, Mexico, in a
mountainous region half way between
Mexico City and the American border
His uncle was a doctor and filled little
Francisco with ambition to follow his
College in Durango and under the Ma
tional Faculty of Medicine in Mexico
City, and took special courses in Paris,
Berlin and New York
His medical eminence extended before
long almost to Terra del Fuego, although
it was not until the Buenos Aires Con-
ference of 1886 that he visited any coun-
tries of Latin America south of Panama
He became military doctor and took
part in the revolutionary activities of the
goth ,century's second decade Obregon
and Gales, the big men of Mexico then,
came to know him and respect him. La
FARO Cardenas, President now of Mexico
then a general, became his friend; Dr..
Najera is among the few men in the
world who calls Cardenas by his first
name.
Bought Military Supplies in U. S.
In the midst of revolutionary warfare
he married Eugenia Davila Sayas, from
Guaymas in Sonora. which borders on
the United States. His bride had many
relatives living in Nogales, directly on
the American border. This fact gave him
tie with the United States. Further
more, he studied here and when he was
engaged in war against the Zapastistas
and the Villistas he bought military and
medical supplies here.
BY 1920 DR.. jera was director of the
Army Medical School. A year later he
was brigadier general physician-surgeon
in the army. Much as Obregon was i'm
pressed with the young mans skill at
1IiCNlSlIlC, llC Wdo lIlOlC GdhCll WILL 1iAo
possibilities as diplomat. DR.. Najera
charmed his enemies and was master
at rough and ready negotiation. He was
sent to China as Minister.
The chief business of diplomats in
China in 1922 concerned bandits. The
country was disorganized. The central
governments authority was weak. For
eigners who went beyond the centers of
population were frequently kidnapped and
held for ransom by Chinese bad men.
The chiefs of mission in Peking from
abroad acted in concert. They used
to gather almost daily to discuss methods
of rescuing the bandits latest victims.
Geneva brought Dr. Najera's wider dip
lomatic powers into play. When he left
there the surgeon took with him to
Washington two diplomatic laurels. He
headed the commission which launched
the negotiations that led to the end of
the Paraguay Bolivia boundary war over
the Chaco, and he assisted in the solu-
ton of the adjustment of Perus and
Colombia's quarrel over the Leticia.
Two Sons Speak Chinese.
Dr. Najera brought to washington his
wife and four children, three sons and
daughter. The elder sons, now 81 and
10, learned in Picking to speak Chinese
when they we're and g. but when they
reached Washington, they knew no Eng
lish They were walking down the street
one day when they saw pastry shop
with doughnuts in the window, by a
sign, sc each" They entered and asked
for Two each" At last the storekeeper