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West Coast Times, 20 April 1911, Page 2

THE MEXICAN SITUATION. Ihe latest, suggestion nf American,: or Angic-Americaii intervention in the Mexican insurrection-calls attention ;to “jie seriousness of the situation.' Since President Diaz lias;,offered drastic .reforms to the revolutionaries as the prico of peace, and the rebel, leader Maclero lias refused to accept any terms which accompanied by the resignation of Mexico’s Dictator, it is clear that the Mexicans themselves are taking their revolt very seriously, though in most of the “battles’ ’reported only very small forces have been engaged. .Correspondents in the field, however, so far as we can judge from American papers recently to hand, are most impressed bv tiie humorous aspects ’ of tho situation, ; and the comic, opera,, character of a good deal of thecjfightihg. The various encounters near were fought under the eyes c-Sof. hundreds of spectators fromEl Paso,'.'' across tho Rio Grande. Tiie fh'sjrshots;*f an engagement would bring 'people on

foot, in carriages, and in automobiles, ■ hastening to mid good locations along the river bank, whence their shouts of derision or encouragement could bo plainly heard by tho combatants, a few yards distant. In ono case the revolutionary array, after repulsing tho Government troops without any loss of life on either side, came down to the shore, were cheered by the spectators aiid then posed for a swarm of photographors, including it is said “tho omnipresent moving-picture man.” So far tho mam armies on both sides have apparently been unable to get to grips, hut since it is now stated that “Madsro, at tho head of 60,000 men, has started for the Casagando region where a battle is expected,” more exciting nows may came through at any timef »hue some of tho American papers minimise tho outbreak, others believe that_ the movement against Diaz is gaining strength, and this conjecture is supported by the action of tho Chamber of Deputies in voting four million dollars to suppress the insurrection. It is stated that Diaz has us his represenin tho field no leaders of anything like his own force or military ability, and several newspapers believe that the. veteran President himself is “losing his grip.” If Madcro’s big battle comes off it may materially hasten the conclusion of the struggle, but if the combatants continue the fragmentary warfare which for the most part they appear to have preferred, in tho unsettled mountain districts of Mexico, tho revolt might be indefinitely prolonged, unless, of course, as now seems more likely than it did previously there should eventually be intervention on the part of the United States to effect a pacification and suck other objects as may be contemplated at present by the American Government. The situation is certainly ono in which there is no knowing what is going to bo the upshot.