J0 88 MEXICO 



Guerrilla fighting spread in the province of Chihuahua, and extended to El Paso on the 

 American border; and for some time the situation seemed likely to make intervention 

 by the United States necessary. The American government, in view of eventualities, 

 sent a considerable body of troops within striking distance in case of emergencies. Pres- 

 sure had been put on the United States by the foreign financial houses in Mexico for this 

 purpose, but actual intervention was not required. The octogenarian president, who 

 had ruled Mexico for more than a generation, being unable to take the field personally, 

 lost his grip upon the army as well as upon the people; and in May 1911 he was com- 

 pelled to resign and to leave the country (May 3oth) with his family. General Diaz 

 arrived at Plymouth June 15th on the German steamer " Ypiranga," reaching London 

 the same day, but pausing there but a very short time before proceeding to Switzerland. 



After his departure a provisional government was installed under the presidency of 

 Senor Francisco Leon de la Barra, who continued, with some changes in his ministry, to 

 rule until the popular elections in the following October, when Senor Madero was chosen 

 constitutional president for the period 1910-16. A number of further revolts almost at 

 once occurred, while several districts were overrun by armed bands of robbers under 

 different leaders, the authorities being unable to cope with the uprisings, which in 

 many respects recalled the early days of Mexican independence, before the strong 

 hand of Diaz had effected so great a reform. The federal army, on the whole, had re- 

 mained remarkably loyal to the Madero government. 



At one time there were four different presidential candidates in the field, namely, 

 General Gomez, Senor Pascual Crosco, Colonel Felix Diaz, a nephew of the ex-presi- 

 dent, and General Bernardo Reyes. The last had formerly been governor of the State 

 of Nuevo Leon for nearly twenty-five years under the Diaz regime, and having conspired 

 against Diaz, he was banished from the country. Towards the spring of 1910, however, 

 the Diaz government had recalled Reyes in order that he might help to save the situation. 

 Before he landed upon Mexican soil, agents of the Madero party approached him with 

 the idea of his abandoning Diaz and supporting his rival, the inducement being the 

 promise of the portfolio of minister of war in the new government. Reyes at first con- 

 sented, but changed his mind; and gathering a few malcontents, he set up as an independ- 

 ent candidate for the presidency. With his small body of followers he undertook a 

 campaign, which soon ended owing to the desertion of his supporters; his surrender as 

 a prisoner of war to the government then followed. 



Yet a fifth candidate presented himself in the person of General Zapata, who, although 

 nominally a supporter of General Gomez, was known to aspire to the presidency. It 

 was generally believed that Zapata and other agitators were being financed by American 

 money, as so many revolutions in Panama, Cuba and Nicaragua had been in previous 

 years, and a strong anti- American feeling was aroused, several citizens of the United 

 States losing their lives, while many others sought safety in flight across the border. 



In January 1911 a new government department of Labour was created, while a new 

 legation was established at San Salvador (Republic of El Salvador), making it independ- 

 ent of Guatemala. Congress amended articles 78 and 109 of the constitution, by which 

 the presidential term was extended from 4 to 6 years, and provided that neither president 

 nor vice-president should be eligible for re-election, nor any state governor serve for more 

 than 6 years. An arbitration treaty was ratified December 26, 1911, with Brazil. 



Although 79,484 immigrants entered the republic during 1910-11, a large number of 

 residents left on account of the revolution. In this year (1911) little progress was made 

 in new railway construction owing to lack of labour, most of the available peons having 

 enlisted as fighters upon one side or the other, and the attention of the railway companies 

 being devoted to repairs to damaged track and rolling-stock. Altogether, some 80 kilo- 

 metres were added, bringing up the total length to 19,877 kilometres. The working of 

 the national railways showed a decrease in the earnings of 2,097,752 pesos (209,752). 



In March 1912, revolutionary conditions still raging, the United States government 

 formally forbade the exportation of arms to Mexico under penalty of $10,000 fine, or 

 imprisonment for 2 years. But the decree came too late to have much effect. In May 



