Cornell universixx LIBRARIES ITHACA, n Y. 14853 DATE DUE ^ jyjI^^^-XLaBteiiiii^ft^ 3 1924 014 747 871 The original of tliis book is in tine Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924014747871 CARRANZA AND MEXICO URIS LIBRARY DON VENUSTIANO CARRANZA AND GENERAL I. L. PESQUEIRA First Chief and Minister of War GARRANZA AND MEXICO BY CARLO DE FORNARO [WITH CHAPTERS BY COLONEL L C. ENRIQUEZ. CHARLES FERGUSON AND M. C. ROLLAND] '"'" URISLIBRARV '" Mh*^'^' MAY 2 1983 NEW YORK ' MITCHELL KENNERLEY - 1915 COPYRIGHT, 191 5, BY MITCHELL KENNEKXEY 1^' (l< i' \ 'I W „ PRINTED IN AMERICA iU; TO PRESIDENT WOODROW WILSON who discovered real Mexico to the .Americans CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I The Life of Don Venustiano Carranza 9 II Conditions in Mexico During Diaz' Regime 34 III The Madero Revolution, Its Aims and Fail- ures 50 IV Plotting Which Overthrew Madero 60 V Huerta in Power. The Landing of American Marines in Vera Cruz 77 VI Financial Organization of the Revolution 86 VTI Civil Organization of the Revolution 96 VIII Diplomatic Work in Washington 99 IX The Constitutionalists in Paris 102 X Investigation Work in the United States, By M. C. RoUand 106 XI General Outline of Campaign Against Huerta 114 XII Campaign of General Obregon in the West. By Col. L C. Enriquez 118 XIII Villa and His Campaign in the North 132 XIV Campaign of Gen. Gonzalez in the East 142 XV Zapata and His Campaign in the South 146 XVI One Hundred Years* Struggle for Land and Democracy against Clericalism 157 XVII Attempts at the Solution of the Land Question 166 XVIII Behind the Scenes of the Carranza-Villa Im- broglio 176 XIX The Need of a Democratic Finance in Mexico. By C. Ferguson 184 XX The Foreign Policy of Carranza 192 XXI President Wilson's Mexican Policy 205 Reflections 214 Appendix , 219 ILLUSTRATIONS Don Venustiano Carranza and General I. L. Pesqueira Frontispiece FACING PAGE Don Rafael Zubaran Capmany 99 Modesto C. RoUand 106 War Map of Mexico 114 General Alvaro Obregon 118 General S. Alvarado 132 General Pablo Gonzalez 142 General Benjamin Hill 176 CHAPTER I LIFE OF CARRANZA "r\ON VENUSTIANO CARRANZA! ""-^ Who is this man, practically unknown to the American public a year and a half ago, who with the help of the Mexican Constitutionalists, over- threw the most cynical, murderous, grafting and powerful military dictatorship that ever existed in Mexico ? Concentration of power in Mexico City, the sup- port of the foreigners, of the church, the bankers, the landowners, the militarists, of foreign bankers and most foreign nations, with the exception of the United States Government, were at the disposal of General Huerta and his regime, but Carranza and the Constitutionalists eliminated" this nefarious rule after eighteen months of unbroken victories, sweep- ing finally into Mexico City in a peaceful, orderly manner. The American public is beginning to realize that such a thorough victory could never have been achieved without a popular movement, directed by a fearless, statesmanlike chief. Venustiano Carranza, with the exception of Don Fernando Iglesias Calderon, is the oldest of all the Constitutionalists, who have fought for the last year 9 lO Carranza and Mexico and a half, with every means in their power, against the rule of General Huerta and his governmental camorra. Don Venustiano Carranza was born in the State of Coahuila in 1859, and is therefore, fifty-five years old. In spite of the assertion of one of the corre- spondents who interviewed him six months ago for the Metropolitan magazine, Mr. John Reed, we claim that CaVranza is anything but a " senile old man," for he rode over 1,500 miles on horseback, through the States of Nuevo Leon, Coahuila, Du- rango, Chihuahua and Sonora, visiting the military- camps, organizing all the state and federal govern- ments, and finally settling down in Hermosillo, State of Sonora, as his capital. Later, after Torreon had been captured from the Federals, Carranza with his staff and soldiers again crossed the State of Sonora into Chihuahua on horseback, a distance of nearly 300 miles. We must admit that unless Carranza had lived a greater part of his life on his farm, he would not have been able to stand the hardships and rigors of that famous ride. His mental training was that of a lawyer, for he studied in the schools of Coahuila and finished his law course in Mexico City. A certain weakness of the eyesight prevented him from practising law, so he retired on his farm, dedi- cating his time to improving his " hacienda " and studying history and political economy. ^mff of Carrjz'hlJ n Like the President of the United States, Carranza is one of the greatest authorities on the history of his own country. Just as all student-statesmen, Carranza is the type of man which makes no direct appeal to the imagination of the public by a strenuous, romantic life — it is the quiet, clear, thinking, organizing brain which creates, commands and achieves, without the blaze of trumpets, or the help of well-salaried press-agents. One incident in his life stands out glaringly like a solitary facet of a diamond struck by sunlight. Very few Mexicans, and it can be safely said even a lesser number of Americans, know that Carranza was the only man who started a local revolution against General Diaz, during the rule from 1876 to 19 10, and succeeded; — that is to say, continued to live in Mexico, without sacrificing his life to his bold attempt. This strange and seemingly incomprehensible in- cident happened in the year 1893, when Don Venus- tiano was only thirty-four years old. At that time there ruled over the State of Coa- huila a governor named Garza Galan. With the eiception of Mucio Martinez and General Cravi- oto, he was the worst governor in Mexico. Garza Galan used his great power to rob, expropriate lands by all manner of tricks and stratagems, im- prison, kill those who stood in his way, and went so far as to kidnap respectable girls. 12 Carranza and Mexico Everybody expected that Garza Galan would be eliminated after his two years of governorship, but when it was discovered that Romero Rubio stood sponsor for another two years of Garza Galan as Governor of Coahuila, the inhabitants of that State were in utter dismay and protested to the President. At that time Romero Rubio, the father-in-law of President Diaz, was one of his closest advisers. He is the originator of the party which later was called the " Cientifico " party, and of which Liman- tour became the successor. As Romero Rubio insisted on the candidacy of Garza Galan for a second term, and as protests were of no avail with General Diaz, Don Venusti- ano Carranza arose in arms with the assistance of his brother, Don Emilio, and started on the war- path against Garza Galan. General Diaz sent some federal troops to quell the revolt, but Don Venustiano and his brother took particular care to avoid coming into armed conflict with the federal troops, while they attacked Garza Galan's state troops and defeated them repeatedly. This strange, three-cornered fight lasted longer than was ex- pected; very soon, other wiser counsellors of Gen- eral Diaz pointed out to him that a continuation of this armed revolt might communicate itself to the other boi-der States with disastrous effects to the Federal Government. General Diaz then recalled the candidacy of Garza Galan, and it was trans- formed into the one of Seiior Musquiz. Life of Carranza 13 Peace followed, but strangest of all, was the im- munity of Venustiano Carranza and his brother to persecutions and attempts on their lives. Carranza was not a novice in the politics of his country; he served as a member of the legislature of his native State, as Senator of the Federal Gov- ernment in Mexico City and even as a governor of his State. Maybe the wily old dictator, Don Porfirio Diaz, made a mistake in the case of Carranza. For six- teen years after the revolt against Garza Galan, Carranza gave further proof of his strength of character, by accepting the gubernatorial candidacy offered to him by the people of Coahuila and re- fusing to renounce it in the face of the opposition of the " cientifico " group in Mexico City, because Carranza stood for the candidacy of General Reyes as Vice-President, as against Ramon Corral who was the Mephisto of the " cientifico " party. The answer of Carranza to the emissary of Diaz, who suggested the advisability of his refusal to run " for Governor, was as follows : Tell General Diaz that as long as there is a single person, who will propose and work in favor of my candidacy, I shall not renounce it, and I shall accept all the conse- quences of my conduct." After such an unequivocal answer, everybody ex- pected that either the door of the penitentiary would close upon the bold candidate, or that he would mys- : 14 Carranza and Mexico teriously disappear, in accordance with the policy oi General Diaz. What saved Carranza from either of these fates, was the publicity given to this incident in the Amer- ican press, especially a letter of protest against the meeting which was to take place in El Paso, be- tween General Diaz and President Taft. The pas- sage referring to this incident says " Even as I write these lines, the report is wired from Mexico that General Diaz has ordered the de- mission of the Governor of Coahuila, as the latter showed a marked tendency in favor of General Reyes' candidacy.