Evening star., 1940-02-25
BY WASHINGTON I. CLEVELAND

BY WASHINGTON I. CLEVELAND.
D. C. Manser A. A. A.
Mexico by motor is the mecca for
tourists today. While the European
war is in progress and crossing the
ocean is not an inviting pastime, the
Pan American Highway extending
1853 miles from Laredo, Tex, at the
International Border south to Mex
leo City and then southeast 1853 miles
to Tehuacan, beckons the tourists
to one of the most picturesque and
scenic trips on the North American
continent.
OF appealing interest to the tour
ist also is the exchange rate which in
January was one United States
dollar equaling s5.95 in Mexico
money which makes travel in Mexico
exceedingly reasonable, much more
so than in the United States.
Before entering this travel treasure
land, it is well to recall that there
existed in Mexico an ancient civin-
cation with remarkable culture and
amazing wealth long before Columbus
discovered America. The pyramids
at Teotihuacon 33 miles from Mexico
City are larger than the pyramids
of Egypt are claimed by some au-
thorities to date back to the year
10835 B. c. The Aztec Indians who
had been preceded by this pre-
historic civilization established what
is now Mexico City in 1925. The
Spanish conquest of Mexico under
Cortes started in April, 1919, and
Mexico was under Spanish domi-
nation until 1921. Then followed
a century of-civil war including the
war between Mexico and the United
States in 1848 when Mexico lost
California, New Mexico, Arizona and
Texas: and the conflict with Ma
poleon III which established Maxi
nillian, Archduke of Austria as
Emperor of Mexico in 1864. Maxi
millian with his wife Charlotte ruled
three years until Napoleon withdrew
his army and Maximillian was
. captured and shot.
The hunger for land" of the
Mexican peasants has been the
essential cause of the subsequent
revolutions in Mexico led by such
chiefs as Madero, Villa, Caranza
and Obregon.
Program Continues.
After period of about 10 years
from 1924 to 1884 during which Gen
Gales tried to slow down the political
evolution and sought TO industralize
the country, the present President
Cardenas, elected in 1884 has con-
tinued the revolutionary program
which has included the expropri-
alton of the foreign oil interests and
Of the great haciendas or ranches
owned for generations by the ruling
families of Mexico.
MeXico's population is approxi-
mately 100000, of which less than
100000 are pure or nearly pure
Spanish descent. OF the remainder
one half are pure Indian and the rest
a mixture of Indian and Spanish.
Mexico has entered upon a thor
oughly modern and high-grade road
building program. An excellent
highway exists not only from Laredo
south to Mexico City, distance OF
1853 miles and from Mexico City
southeast 1863 miles to Tehuacan
but similar highways extend AL
miles west of Mexico City to
Guadajara, 277 miles east of Mex
leo City to Iguala, leaving 1872 miles
of second-grade road remaining to
reach Acapulco on the Pacific Ocean.
Although these Mexican highways
are maintained in f1rst-claSs con-
dition and being of recent con-
struction embrace advanced engi-
neering design especially through
seemingly inaccessible mountain
passes, there is one great danger
lurking along these highways against
which the motorist must always be
on his guard, especially at night. It
is the danger of grazing animals
In motoring through Mexico one
is repeatedly encountering COWS
burros, pigs, goats, sheep and horses
in the roadway. 1t is necessary to
reduce the speed of the car to the
point where it will be possible to
stop if one of these ANIMALS cross
in front of your path because on
an average of every so to IS miles
the motorist experiences that sit
uation. In addition to the great
danger of wrecking ones auto
mobile and being injured or killed
himself, the damages which must be
paid if an animal is struck, are such
as to make safety the only course
to pursue.
Consult A. A. A. Representative.
Before entering Mexico at Lardeo
the motorist should consult Charles
Mumm, the representative of the
American Automobile Association
who Is probably the best informed
person in this country on motoring
In Mexico You will learn from Mr.
Mumm the necessary and important
facts which every motorist should
know and he will tell you the proper
amount of United States currency
to exchange into Mexican money
for your trip to Mexico City and
will give you the best exchange rate
obtainable in Laredo. He will route
your trip, tell you where to stop
overnight, the best places to eat
and assure you of trip free from
those hardships which one will in
variably encounter if he is not
properly informed. One specific
Illustration is perhaps appropriate
On my recent trip met motorist
who had exchanged 5000 in United
States currency at the border. The
exchange rate he obtained was $3.50
I pointed out to him that, he could
have exchanged only $40 at the
border and would have received a
rate of $5.75 and the remainder in
Mexico City at $5.95. This would
have amounted to savings of $50
Mexican money, that is 30 pesos
which was 10 pesos more than it
- cost Mrs. Cleveland and me to make
the two day trip from Laredo to
Mexico City.
Mexico is an exceedingly rugged
country. Starting from the south at
Oayaca tvo great mountain ranges