22 



The National Geographic Magazine 



For twenty years Mr. Mariscal has 

 served at the head of the cabinet as sec- 

 retary for foreign relations, except when 

 absent for a time as minister at London, 

 and to his skillful and prudent manage- 

 ment are in great measure due the sat- 

 isfactory relations which Mexico has 

 established with the other nations of the 

 world. France and Great Britain soon 

 overcame their scruples growing out of 

 the death of Maximilian and the cir- 

 cumstances attending the intervention 

 and reestablished diplomatic relations. 

 Their action was soon followed by all 

 the other leading nations of Europe, 

 except Austria, and even that monarchy 

 has recently renewed diplomatic inter- 

 course, and has buried any feelings of 

 bitterness for an act which, under the 

 circumstances, was for Mexico a polit- 

 ical necessity, and would have been 

 commtited by any other civilized nation 

 under similar provocation. 



Mexico has also cultivated more inti- 

 mate and friendly relations with the 

 other Latin- American republics, and at 

 no time has her intercourse with them 

 been more pleasant than at present. 

 By her larger population, by her worthy 

 example of a quarter of a century of 

 unbroken peace and constitutional gov- 

 ernment, and by the consequent era of 

 unexampled development and prosper- 

 ity, Mexico stands todaj 7 at the head of 

 the Latin-American states, and when 

 it was suggested that the time was ripe 

 for the holding of another Pan-Ameri- 

 can international congress similar to 

 that which assembled in Washington 

 eleven years ago under the direction of 

 Mr. Blaine, it was unanimously agreed 

 that the Mexican government was the 

 proper one to issue the invitations, and 

 that its beautiful capital was the ideal 

 place in which the representatives of 

 all the Americas should assemble. What- 

 ever may be the outcome of the inter- 

 national congress now in session in the 

 City of Mexico, I am sure every one of 

 its delegates will leave that country 



with a higher estimate of its govern- 

 ment, its people, and its resources. 



MANUFACTURES AND MINING 



This paper is ahead} 7 so extended that 

 a number of topics of importance can be 

 only alluded to very briefly. The pro- 

 tective system prevails in Mexico, the 

 tariff on imports being regulated both 

 with a view to securing revenue and to 

 stimulate and protect domestic indus- 

 tries. Under this system manufactures 

 have shared largely in the general pros- 

 perit}- of the country and have very 

 greath 7 increased in production and va- 

 riety, the chief attention being given to- 

 the manufacture of cotton fabrics. 



Mining has for three centuries been 

 the leading industry of Mexico, its out- 

 put of silver usually standing first in 

 the world's production of that metal. 

 The new order of affairs has imparted 

 fresh vigor to this industry, and a large 

 amount of American capital has been 

 invested in mining. The United States 

 tariff on lead-bearing silver ores has also 

 led to the establishment of large smelt- 

 ing works in various localities, a com- 

 paratively new industry in the country. 

 In recent years the number of mines has 

 greatly increased, the output of silver 

 reaching near $70,000,000 annually, or 

 over one-third of the total production of 

 the world. Gold mining has had new 

 development and is steadily increasing 

 in its jdeld. Copper exists in various 

 parts of the Republic, and the prevailing 

 high price of late years has stimulated 

 its production. The great want of the 

 country in the mining industr} 7 is an 

 abundant supply of good coal. Deposits 

 have been found in the Rio Grande re- 

 gion, but the supply as yet is entirely 

 inadequate to the needs of the country, 

 as fuel for locomotives, mining, and do- 

 mestic uses is still high and scarce. 



AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES 



Agriculture stands next to mining as 



