the hispanic nations of the new world-第27节

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e　instincts　happened　to　be　aroused　by　drink　and　the　prospect　of　plunder。　On　the　other　hand；　the　intelligent　among　them；　knowing　that　in　some　of　the　northern　States　of　the　republic　wages　were　higher　and　treatment　fairer；　felt　a　sense　of　wrong　which；　like　that　of　the　laboring　class　in　the　towns；　was　all　the　more　dangerous　because　it　was　not　allowed　to　find　expression。

Diaz　thought　that　what　Mexico　required　above　everything　else　was　the　development　of　industrial　efficiency　and　financial　strength；　assured　by　a　maintenance　of　absolute　order。　Though　disposed　to　do　justice　in　individual　cases；　he　would　tolerate　no　class　movements　of　any　kind。　Labor　unions；　strikes；　and　other　efforts　at　lightening　the　burden　of　the　workers　he　regarded　as　seditious　and　deserving　of　severe　punishment。　In　order　to　attract　capital　from　abroad　as　the　best　means　of　exploiting　the　vast　resources　of　the　country；　he　was　willing　to　go　to　any　length；　it　would　seem；　in　guaranteeing　protection。　Small　wonder；　therefore；　that　the　people　who　shared　in　none　of　the　immediate　advantages　from　that　source　should　have　muttered　that　Mexico　was　the　〃mother　of　foreigners　and　the　stepmother　of　Mexicans。〃　And；　since　so　much　of　the　capital　came　from　the　United　States；　the　antiforeign　sentiment　singled　Americans　out　for　its　particular　dislike。

If　Diaz　appeared　unable　to　appreciate　the　significance　of　the　educational　and　industrial　awakening；　he　was　no　less　oblivious　of　the　political　outcome。　He　knew；　of　course；　that　the　Mexican　constitution　made　impossible　demands　upon　the　political　capacity　of　the　people。　He　was　himself　mainly　of　Indian　blood　and　he　believed　that　he　understood　the　temperament　and　limitations　of　most　Mexicans。　Knowing　how　tenaciously　they　clung　to　political　notions；　he　believed　that　it　was　safer　and　wiser　to　forego；　at　least　for　a　time；　real　popular　government　and　to　concentrate　power　in　the　hands　of　a　strong　man　who　could　maintain　order。

Accordingly；　backed　by　his　political　adherents；　known　as　cientificos　（doctrinaires）；　some　of　whom　had　acquired　a　sinister　ascendancy　over　him；　and　also　by　the　Church；　the　landed　proprietors；　and　the　foreign　capitalists；　Diaz　centered　the　entire　administration　more　and　more　in　himself。　Elections　became　mere　farces。　Not　only　the　federal　officials　themselves　but　the　state　governors；　the　members　of　the　state　legislatures；　and　all　others　in　authority　during　the　later　years　of　his　rule　owed　their　selection　primarily　to　him　and　held　their　positions　only　if　personally　loyal　to　him。　Confident　of　his　support　and　certain　that　protests　against　misgovernment　would　be　regarded　by　the　President　as　seditious；　many　of　them　abused　their　power　at　will。　Notable　among　them　were　the　local　officials；　called　jefes　politicos；　whose　control　of　the　police　force　enabled　them　to　indulge　in　practices　of　intimidation　and　extortion　which　ultimately　became　unendurable。

Though　symptoms　of　popular　wrath　against　the　Diaz　regime；　or　diazpotism　as　the　Mexicans　termed　it；　were　apparent　as　early　as　1908；　it　was　not　until　January；　1911；　that　the　actual　revolution　came。　It　was　headed　by　Francisco　I。　Madero；　a　member　of　a　wealthy　and　distinguished　family　of　landed　proprietors　in　one　of　the　northern　States。　What　the　revolutionists　demanded　in　substance　was　the　retirement　of　the　President；　Vice　President；　and　Cabinet；　a　return　to　the　principle　of　no　reelection　to　the　chief　magistracy；　a　guarantee　of　fair　elections　at　all　times；　the　choice　of　capable；　honest；　and　impartial　judges；　jefes　politicos；　and　other　officials；　and；　in　particular；　a　series　of　agrarian　and　industrial　reforms　which　would　break　up　the　great　estates；　create　peasant　proprietorships；　and　better　the　conditions　of　the　working　classes。　Disposed　at　first　to　treat　the　insurrection　lightly；　Diaz　soon　found　that　he　had　underestimated　its　strength。　Grants　of　some　of　the　demands　and　promises　of　reform　were　met　with　a　dogged　insistence　upon　his　own　resignation。　Then；　as　the　rebellion　spread　to　the　southward；　the　masterful　old　man　realized　that　his　thirty…one　years　of　rule　were　at　an　end。　On　the　25th　of　May；　therefore；　he　gave　up　his　power　and　sailed　for　Europe。

Madero　was　chosen　President　five　months　later；　but　the　revolution　soon　passed　beyond　his　control。　He　was　a　sincere　idealist；　if　not　something　of　a　visionary；　actuated　by　humane　and　kindly　sentiments；　but　he　lacked　resoluteness　and　the　art　of　managing　men。　He　was　too　prolific；　also；　of　promises　which　he　must　have　known　he　could　not　keep。　Yielding　to　family　influence；　he　let　his　followers　get　out　of　hand。　Ambitious　chieftains　and　groups　of　Radicals　blocked　and　thwarted　him　at　every　turn。　When　he　could　find　no　means　of　carrying　out　his　program　without　wholesale　confiscation　and　the　disruption　of　business　interests；　he　was　accused　of　abandoning　his　duty。　One　officer　after　another　deserted　him　and　turned　rebel。　Brigandage　and　insurrection　swept　over　the　country　and　threatened　to　involve　it　in　ugly　complications　with　the　United　States　and　European　powers。　At　length；　in　February；　1913；　came　the　blow　that　put　an　end　to　all　of　Madero's　efforts　and　aspirations。　A　military　uprising　in　the　city　of　Mexico　made　him　prisoner；　forced　him　to　resign；　and　set　up　a　provisional　government　under　the　dictatorship　of　Victoriano　Huerta；　one　of　his　chief　lieutenants。　Two　weeks　later　both　Madero　and　the　Vice　President　were　assassinated　while　on　their　way　supposedly　to　a　place　of　safety。

Huerta　was　a　rough　soldier　of　Indian　origin；　possessed　of　unusual　force　of　character　and　strength　of　will；　ruthless；　cunning；　and　in　bearing　alternately　dignified　and　vulgar。　A　cientifico　in　political　faith；　he　was　disposed　to　restore　the　Diaz　regime；　so　far　as　an　application　of　shrewdness　and　force　could　make　it　possible。　But　from　the　outset　he　found　an　obstacle　confronting　him　that　he　could　not　surmount。　Though　acknowledged　by　European　countries　and　by　many　of　the　Hispanic　republics；　he　could　not　win　recognition　from　the　United　States；　either　as　provisional　President　or　as　a　candidate　for　regular　election　to　the　office。　Whether　personally　responsible　for　the　murder　of　Madero　or　not；　he　was　not　regarded　by　the　American　Government　as　entitled　to　recognition；　on　the　ground　that　he　was　not　the　choice　of　the　Mexican　people。　In　its　refusal　to　recognize　an　administration　set　up　merely　by　brute　force；　the　United　States　was　upheld　by　Argentina；　Brazil；　Chile；　and　Cuba。　The　elimination　of　Huerta　became　the　chief　feature　for　a　while　of　its　Mexican　policy。

Meanwhile　the　followers　of　Madero　and　the　pronounced　Radicals　had　found　a　new　northern　leader　in　the　person　of　Venustiano　Carranza。　They　called　themselves　Constitutionalists；　as　indicative　of　their　purpose　to　reestablish　the　constitution　and　to　choose　a　successor　to　Madero　in　a　constitutional　manner。　What　they　really　desired　was　those　radical　changes　along　social；　industrial；　and　political　lines；　which　Madero　had　championed　in　theory。　They　sought　to　introduce　a　species　of　socialistic　regime　that　would　provide　the　Mexicans　with　an　opportunity　for　self…regeneration。　While　Diaz　had　believed　in　economic　progress　supported　by　the　great　landed　proprietors；　the　moral　influence　of　the　Church；　and　the　application　of　foreign　capital；　the　Constitutionalists；　personified　in　Carranza；　were　convinced　that　these　agencies；　if　left　free　and　undisturbed　to　work　their　will；　would　ruin　Mexico。　Though　not　exactly　antiforeign　in　their　attitude；　they　wished　to　curb　the　power　of　the　foreigner；　they　would　accept　his　aid　whenever　desirable　for　the　economic　development　of　the　country；　but　they　would　not　submit　to　his　virtual　control　of　public　affairs。　In　any　case　they　would　tolerate　no　interference　by　the　United　States。　Compromise　with　the　Huerta　regime；　therefore；　was　impossible。　Huerta；　the　〃strong　man〃　of　the　Diaz　type；　must　go。　On　this　point；　at　least；　the　Constitutionalists　were　in　thorough　agreement　with　the　United　States。

A　variety　of　international　complications　ensued。　Both　Huertistas　and　Carranzistas　perpetrated　outrages　on　foreigners；　which　evoked　sharp　protests　and　threats　from　the　United　States　and　European　powers。　While　careful　not　to　recognize　his　opponents　officially；　the　American　Government　resorted　to　all　kinds　of　means　to　oust　the　dictator。　An　embargo　was　laid　on　the　export　of　arms　and　munitions；　all　efforts　to　procure　financial　help　from　abroad　were　balked。　The　power　of　Huerta　was　waning　perceptibly　and　that　of　the　Constitutionalists　was　increasing　when　an　incident　that　occurred　in　April；　1914；　at　Tampico　brought　matters　to　a　climax。　A　number　of　American　sailors　who　had　gone　ashore　to　obtain　supplies　were　arrested　and　temporarily　detained。　The　United　States　demanded　that　the　American　flag　be　saluted　as　reparation　for　the　insult。　Upon　the　refusal　of　Huerta　to　comply；　the　United　States　sent　a　naval　expedition　to　occupy　Vera　Cruz。

Both　Carranza　and　Huerta　regarded　this　move　as　equivalent　to　an　act　of　war。　Argentina；　Brazil；　and　Chile　then　offered　their　mediation。　But　the　conference　arranged　for　this　purpose　at　Niagara　Falls；　Canada；　had　before　it　a　task　altogether　impossible　of　accomplishment。　Though　Carranza　was　willing　to　have　the　Constitutionalists　represented；　if　the　discussion　related　solely　to　the　immediate　issue　between　the　United　States　and　Huerta；