REVOLT IN MEXICO.

Otago Witness, Issue 2985, 31 May 1911, Page 31

REVOLT IN MEXICO.

AMNESTY FOR POLITICAL PRISONERS. MEXICO, May 23. By an immense majority the Chamber of Deputies passed a bill providing for an amnesty for all political prisoners. . Peace reigns in the northern portion of the State. The members of the Cientifico party, who were deposed by the Maderoist movement, are thinking of starting another revolution. The affair at Torreon, in which hundreds of Chinese are said to have been killed, assumes an international aspect. Germans, Spaniards, and Japanese were also killed. May 25. A mob, shouting "Vive MaderoF' assembled in the main streets, and made an angry demonstration because President Diaz had not resigned. The police and troops charged the mob, killing several and wounding many. President Diaz is sick with fever. Madero has ordered the resumption of hostilities. Mexico City is in the hands of the mob. Last night a riot was started by the rumour that President Diaz would not resign. Seven persons were lolled. May 26. President Diaz has resigned, also Vicepresident Corral. The resignations of President Diaz and Vice-President Corral were officially announced to the Chamber of Deputies, when letters from both were read. The demonstrations in the streets showed that the people were pleased. One deputy said that President Diaz's good deeds would outweigh his mistakes.

" President Diaz is dead, but long live Citizen Diaz!" is now the prevalent cry. May 27.

Ex-President Diaz, who is very feeble and suffering from illness, has left for Vera Cruz. It is his intention to catch a boat for Spain, where he will make his home. General Madero has issued a manifesto hoping that peace may reign under the Residency. May 28. Bands of insurrectors, unaware that peace had been arranged, killed several chiefs of police m the interior. Hundreds of people are on the verge of starvation and are looting and burning the stores. The country is in a state of chaos. Federal troops have slain the Government officials who were imprisoned after certain towns had been surrendered to the rebels. (Fsom Oua Own Cobbespondent.) NEW YORK, April 23. As this letter goes forward to you it actually seems possible that we shall have real fighting on the Mexican frontier. The most serious battle of the so-called Mexican revolution was fought at Agua Pietra on Monday. The Federal troops, who naa been driven out from that town, miade an effort to recapture it, but were continually repulsed, and suffered heavy losses. Two of their fine machine guns were captured by the rebels. The cable despatches will, of course, bring full details of all the important fighting. The point of the matter, as far as the United States is concerned is that the scattering fire of the poorly-drilled Mexican Federal army is dropping exploding shells over the international boundary into perfectly neutral and peace-loving territory. That tmng President Taft will not tolerate, and the nation is beginning' to see why the United States army, keyed to the high pitch of expectant enthusiasm, was so quickly mobilised upon the Mexican frontier. It begins to appreciate Mr Taft's far-sightod-ness.

There was no doubt that the President had somewhat in mind the property interests in Northern Mexico of various Americans —some of whom chance to be hia warm personal friends—when he sent the army to the boundary. But there is also littlo doubt that Mr Taft had a fa.r deeper and more patriotic motive. For there seems to be little question that Japan figures in this imbroglio. It is known, at Washington—and bitterly denied at Washington—that a treaty was in process of consummation between the tottering Diaz Mexican Administration and the Japanese Government. In effect this treaty exchanged Japanese financial aid to Diaz with a permission for Japan to establish coaling stations on the west coast of Mexico close to the .United States boundary. These coaling stations were to be for the ostensible use of Japanese merchant ships Now you begin to see the real reason for this entire Mexican situation. We feel reasonably assured of our ability to withstand the invasion of a Japanese army as long as it can secure no land base closer than the Hawaiian Islands. The sentiment against Japan and the Japanese is quite as bitter in Western Canada as it is in the United States. Any attempt on tho part of the Flowery Kingdom to land her troops in British Columbia would be bitterly resisted by the inhabitants of that province, even tnough it should bring them to a quarrel with the Mother Country. But Mexico—there is a different matter. There is none too good a feeling in the ancient land of the Aztecs toward the United States. It seems to be a part of Spanish nature to envy tho evolution and development of more successful nations, and in customs, traditions, and religious influences, Mexico is a million miles distant from the United States, even though in reality she touches shoulders with us and has some semblance of our form of government. Just what the outcome of the present imbroglio will be it is hard to predict but it is snfe to say that whoever phall come to govern Mexico, Japan will not receive any sort of fcothoM upon that Soil. The United States rmv will, if necessary, stay in the south until the Panama" Canal is finished and the whole difficult situation brought to an end, rather

than have any fuoh international disaster come to pass.