THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



69 



During a recent conversation with 

 Thoughts three gentlemen all of whom are 



About heavily interested in Western and 



Mexico's Southwestern development the sub- 



Future ject of Mexico's future was .can- 



vassed and various solutions of 

 Mexico's disorder were offered. The fact that each 

 one of these men is prominent in railway construc- 

 tion and colonization work lends value to their 

 opinions. 



One of the gentlemen is familiar with condi- 

 tions in that country he has built railroads as a 

 contractor, has been a heavy livestock breeder and 

 buyer in all of the best known States of that Re- 

 public, and was in touch with the leading men of 

 the Diaz regime. His opinion is that Mexico will 

 never reach a peaceful condition until all of the 

 former leading men of that country who are now 

 exiles in the United States and other countries 

 (about 200 in all) are called together and induced 

 to decide on some man whose honesty, integrity 

 and loyalty to the cause of Mexican rehabilitation 

 is selected and through the influence of this group 

 of men with our Government place this man at the 

 head of Mexican affairs as President. 



A move of this character would necessitate an 

 unselfish "get together" movement on the part of 

 the many factions, and it is safe to say that it will 

 be necessary to formulate some such movement be- 

 fore much headway is made to bring Mexico out of 

 her difficulties. 



There are several exiles in the United States 

 today who are fully competent to manage the affairs 

 of that country if such backing may be obtained 

 from our Government so that one of them may go 

 to work at reorganization along auspicious lines. 



The country of Mexico is richer in agricultural, 

 mining, timber and stock raising possibilities than 

 any similar area within our knowledge. These 

 conditions have indeed contributed largely to her 

 present unfortunate condition through both gov- 

 ernmental and commercial influences ; perhaps 

 when the whole truth is written it may be proven 

 that the avariciousness of foreign capital (and this 

 includes what Mr. Stillwell is pleased to term "Can- 

 nibals of Finance" in our own country) are the 

 original cause of disruption in Mexico. 



The writer not long ago visited one of the exiled 

 leaders of Mexico who is now in the United States 

 and during our talks these facts were made promi- 

 nent. 



1. That under the Diaz regime the plan was 

 to encourage commercial cooperation with all the 

 leading nations of the world. The idea being to let 



no foreign nation become too influential either com- 

 mercially or otherwise. 



2. That in an equal representation from the 

 various friendly countries Mexico, through contact 

 with these would be in a position to secure without 

 sacrifice of dignity or power the necessary financial 

 aid for railway construction and the development of 

 other industries, which her local banks cannot now 

 furnish. 



3. That by contact with foreign countries 

 through their merchant marine a wider and more 

 profitable market would be obtained for the local 

 products of Mexico. 



Our informant stated that the European war 

 had so greatly changed conditions that the plan 

 suggested above of equal representation of friendly 

 countries is now out of the question and that the 

 solution of the problem today must come through 

 a closer alliance with the United States. This 

 would give Uncle Sam every opportunity for trade 

 extension in Mexico, and in return the United States 

 would be called upon for assistance in the settle- 

 ment of present problems financial aid for rehabili- 

 tating their railway systems, and the development 

 of her agricultural, mining and timber industries. 

 The gentleman who outlined the above plan is one 

 of the best informed men in the world on Mexican 

 affairs as they were before the disruption. He is 

 emphatic in contending that Mexico's future is ab- 

 solutely dependent on her favoring the United 

 States and drawing from the latter both moral and 

 financial air. The IRRIGATION AGE is not at liberty 

 to divulge the name of the gentleman quoted at 

 present, but the editor hopes to be able to present 

 his views to its readers from time to time. Owing 

 to the fact that nearly all agriculture in Mexico is 

 carried on through irrigation, the development of 

 that country will be of interest to all of our rea'ders. 



OWING TO THE IMPORTANCE OP THE 

 SUBJECT UNDER DEBATE BETWEEN 

 JUDGES KING AND GRAVES, IT HAS BEEN 

 DECIDED TO PUBLISH IN FULL IN THIS 

 ISSUE JUDGE GRAVES' REPLY TO THE 

 OPENING TALK BY JUDGE KING AND THE 

 SUMMING UP BY THE LATTER. THIS 

 ARTICLE OCCUPIES MORE SPACE THAN IS 

 USUALLY ALLOWED TO ONE SUBJECT, 

 BUT IT WAS THOUGHT BEST TO PRESENT 

 IT IN FULL IN THE ISSUES OF FEBRUARY 

 AND MARCH. THIS EXPLANATION WILL, 

 WE TRUST, EXPLAIN A LACK OF VARIETY 

 IN THE MATTER IN THIS NUMBER. 



