CHAOS IN THE COUNTRY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14692, 29 May 1911, Page 7

CHAOS IN THE COUNTRY.

SLAUGHTER BY *THE REBELS.

(Received May 29, 12.30 a.m.) Mexico City, May 25. The rebels, unaware that peace had been arranged, killed several chiefs of police.

In the interior hundreds are on the verge of starvation. There is much looting and many stores have been burned. The country is in a state of chaos.

A number of Federal troops have been slain, and Government officials placed in gaol after their towns had surrendered to the rebels.

FORTY YEARS OP SOVEREIGNTY.

To the New York Journal it is clear that the glory of the great Mexican's career " has been dimmed by his resistance to, or his failure to grasp more quickly, the movement aginst the established order." He made "the mistake of yielding, but not yielding enough." A year ago his promises would have appeased the discontented, but at this time it would have been better for his own prestige " if Diaz had made no concessions at all or had gone a generous half-way in meeting the revolutionist demands." Further: " For a shrewd man of affairs the Mexican President has latterly been peculiarly blind to his own best interests, in the highest sense. Of earthly power he has surely had more than enough. In the course of nature he must have been prepared to pass from the scene in a few years at most. Had he chosen to retire with good grace, he might not only have had the nominating of his successor, but would have gone into private life amid the plaudits of his countrymen, his faults forgotten, his services freely acknowledged. Diaz at 80 ? unsatisfied with 40 years of sovereignty,' the dog in the manger, is surely less imposing a figure than Diaz the great President emeritus would have been." Senor Madero declared that to •have peace it ."was absolutely essential that General. Diaz should' retire. Then both sides could agree upon a provisional President, not necessarily Madero himself, who says ho " would accept as provisional President a member of the Diaz administration, if chosen by both sides, and if the right to select a few provisional governors is granted to us. This to us means a great concession, which we will make to end the war."