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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (April 24, 1904)
Mexico a Land Without Strikes fCotyrlRht. 1901. by Frank O. Carpenter ) AailINOJON. April 14.-.Sieclal w Correspondence of The Pee.) I mot General Powell Clayton, our I-Pfl arnoassador to Mexico, whm ha il?ii was In Washington a short Urns ago. General Ciayton U now 70 years of ago, but he does not look d and bear no signs of tho wear and tear of public Ufa. BU11, ho has been In the thick of thir g tor more than half a century, lie cornea from a family of statesmen. Ths CI ly tons began to do things in the United State more than 130 years ago and they have, kept pretty well to tho front ever s'nee. Joshua Clayton came to America wkh Wit Hum I'enn, and John M. Clayton, the sec rotary of stats who made the Clayton Ilulwer treaty, was his grandson, l'owelt Clayton comes from the same branch o the family. He was burn In Pennsylvania, went to school at Wilmington, Del., and, Ike George Washington, started life as aj Civil engineer. Wa-shlngton got $5 a day! for surveying the wilds of Virginia for Lord Fairfax, Powell Clayton got IS mile for surveying public lands In Kansas In lbs days just pr ceding tbs war. It was his Job as a surveyor that took Mm ta the west. He was there when the waj) broke out. He entered the union army and rvmalned In the service until its clore. IT started In as a captain and came out fj brigadier general. After the war he bought a plantation td Arkansas, settled there and was elected governor of the state. He hold this poaV tlon during the exciting period of recon struction, when he fought a battle royal against the Ku Klux clan. He was elected to the United States senato from A-kan-as and after that devoted Mmfelf to building the Eureka Springs railroad. For the past seven years General Clayton has been ambassador from tho United States to Mexico. He was appointed by President McKlnlcy und says that he will close his term at the end of the present administration. During our conversation I aked him how be liked the position of ambassador. He replied: "Tho ofllce Is a pleasant one, although It carrlos many rosponalbllttlca and alio the possibility of doing some good. I ft el, however, that I have had It qul'o 1 ng enough and I am ready to retire. It was my Intention to have closed my public life at 70, but I shall remain until tho end of this administration mid retire at 72." "What will you do then, general?" I askod. "I don't know, but I suppose I will do What most old men do, that Is, lend a quiet Ufe enjoying my friends. My children want me to write my memoirs for them. I hive been saving material all my life, und It Is possible t may do that." "What Is the condition of Mexico today, general V "It Is In an excellent condition. The peo ple are prosperous and the country Is on a good substantial basis. Times are good, al though not so good, perhaps, as here." "Does tho country grow much from year to yoarT" "Mexico has a steady natural growth," replied General Clayton. "Its population Is now about 14,000,000, and It Is Increasing at the rate of a million every five years. A great majority of tho people are native Mexicans, Including thoso descended from the Spanish and Indians. There Is no such Immigration from Europe as to the United States. The labor conditions there are dif ferent, and the people who come In have Other things to sell than pure muscle. Many come to Invest capital lu mining or to engage in trade." "How about the labor conditions, General Clayton T Do the capitalists have much troublo with organised laborT" Not at all," was tho reply. "The only organised labor In Mexico Is that employed on the different branches of the railways. Buch men belong to unions, but their or ganisations aro usually brunches of the trades unions of the United States. The chief labor of Mexico Is made up of peons, the descendants of the native Indians. They are not like our Indians, being far more Industrious and more quiet and easily han dled. They do not know what the walking delegate Is und as yet strikes and lockouts are comparatively unknown." "Give me some Idea of wages, general?" aid I. "Wages are low," replied our ambassador to Mexico. "Twenty-five cents a day is paid for ordinary farm labor In most parts Of the country, and In the factories the wages are proportionately small. The hours are long and on tho farms the men work from sunriso to sunset, with siesta at noon." "I see by a recent dispatch that tho Chi nese are coming Into Mexico by the thou sands." Such statements are probably exiggcr ated," was tho reply. "There are not many Chinese In Mexico, and they are admitted at only one or two ports lu order that the character of those coming In may be carefully Investigated." "What are the Mormons doing In Mex ico r They have three colonies," replied the J. j a p Ull ill II IT" llll Ill III ' I ' " roRFimo MliXlCO. DIAZ, PRESIDENT ambassador, "two in the Braxos district of the stato of Chihuahua, and one In the district of Arlspe In Sonora, There Is also an American colony, not Mormon, In the state of Tamaullpas, which has been es tablished within the past six months. All of theso colonies are In a flourishing con dition, and the Mormons especially are In dustrious and thrifty." "About how many foreigners are there In Mexico?" "Comparatively few. Less than 100,000, I should say." "Are there many Americans?" "Yes; more than those of any foreign nationality excepting the 8panlsh. There are 15,000 or 16,000 of our people there. All, so far as I know, retain their American citizenships and moat come Intending to stay only long enough to make their for tunes and then return to the United States." "What are the Americans doing?" "They are Interested In all sorts of en terprises. Some are opening up gold, sil ver and copper mines. Others have fran chises for street railroads and water works In the cities. Some are engaged In farm ing and many are employed In connection with the railroads, which belong largely to the United States." "Have many made fortunes?" "Some have done well, but none have made the enormous sums which are now called fortunes in the United States. There Is one man, Mr. Pranlff. who Is said to be worth about $15,000,000 or $16,000,000 In Mexican money. Ito built the Mexican Na tional railroad, which runs from Vera Cruz to Mexico City, and has been Inter ested in other enterprises of large size. General Frlsbeo is said to be worth $1,000, 000 or $2,000,000 In Mexican money, but we have no other multl-milllonulres that I know of." "Is capital Invested In Mexico safe?" "I don't know what you mean by safe," said General Clayton. "If danger from rev olution or from confiscation by the govern ment Is concerned, It Is perfectly safe. It Is Just like property in tho United States. One muBt Investigate his titles before pur chasing, and the man who Intends to Invest should go to Mexico and examine things for himself." "How about the coffee and rubber planta tions?" "Such things should be carefully Inquired Into. Everything depends upon the locality. Mexico has a variety of soils, some very rich and sonio not worth a cent an acre." "How about the mines?" "Mexico is very rich in minerals, but It has been mined for centuries. It la esti mated that more than $4.UUU.tM.OO0 worth o gold und silver have been taken out of the earth there. Tho mining has gi.ne on stead ily since tho days of Cortoz. Alexander Humboldt, who, nniong his other scientific attainments, luid thoso of a mining en gineer, said that there were 3.0u0 mines In operation In Mexico when he weut through that country about WO years ago. The Mex icans are good miners. They know the value of their own product, and they are shrewd dealers. Americans going there should investigate carefully. If they do so they may make their fortunes, for the coun try U undoubtedly rich r t if GENERAL POWELL CLAYTON, UNITED "la much American money going Into Mexican mines?" "Quite a good deal, I should say," roplled General Clayton. "Into what kinds?" I asked. "Oold, silver and copper." "Can you tell me something as to the extent of tho mines?" "Yes, I have a list of the principal ones which was made last year. The country has altogether more than 15,000 mines which produce gold, silver and copper. There are 745 copper mines and some very large ones. There are other mines which produce cop per and lead, and copper and Iron. There arc more than 1,000 gold mines, and almost 4,000 which produce both gold and silver. Altogether there are 6,500 mines which turn out more or less gold, either pure or in con nection with other metals. There are more than 8,000 silver mines which are producing, and the mines of various kinds all told yield an output of about 40,000,000 gold dollars per year." "How about farming, general? I under stand it pays well In Mexico?" "Tho most profitable farming there is stock-raising," replied the ambassador. "There are enormous ranches In Mexico. Some are so large that you have to rldo more than fifty miles to cross them. A few years ago I went down to the Isthmus of Tehuantepec and took a trip through the cattle country there. I rode through one farm which had 25,000 head upon it, and through another which had over 13,000. This was In February, In the midst of our winter. Tho prairies were then covered with grass which reached to my kneus. The cattle Industry is one of the great ones In Mexico. The total value of the ranches is more than 600,000.000 gold dollars, and the cattle are numbered by millions." "Where are the chief markets for the stock?" I asked. "The United States takes most of the surplus from northern Mexico," said Am bassador Clayton. "The cattle are taken across the border and fattened In Texas or the territories, and thenco shipped to the great- packing centers. In the south the chief markets are Cuba and South America." "What Is Mexico doing In manufactur ing?" I asked. "it Is Increasing Its cotton factories," replied the ambassador. "It has now con siderably over 100 factories, wlilcn use something like 60,000,000 pounds of raw cot ton a year. The factoiles make different kinds of poods, including calicoes. They made over 11.000.0CO pieces of cloth last year, chiefly for home consumption. The indus try Is protected by a high taariff." "Tell me something about President Diaz. General Clayton," said I. "What kind of a man Is he?" "He is one of the ablest executives of his time," was the reply. "He has been president of Mexico for about a quarter of a century, and the prosperity of the country Is largely due to him." "Where does he come from, general?" "He Is a native Mexican," replied Gen eral Clayton. "He was born In Oaxaca, which Is about a day's ride by train below Mexico City, and he is old enough now to have served in the Mexican army during :f V..7 l;f- W STATES MINISTER TO MEXIOXX. the Mexican war. He was, however, not much more than a boy at the time. Shortly after tho war was over he left the army to study law, but he entered It again from time to time, taking part In many of the civil commotions which preceded his own election as president. He became presi dent In 1876 and then began to bring order out of chaos. Since then Mexico has been quiet, and General Diaz has managed Ita affairs so well that, with the exception of one Intervening term, he has held the office of president from that time to this." "I see It stated that he is about to re sign from the presidency," said I. "I think not," said our ambassador to Mexico. "He may give the duties of his office over to the vice president while he takes a trip to Rurope, but I do not think he expects to retire." "Suppose President Diaz should retire, what would be the effect upon the govern ment? Would there be another revolu tion?" "No," replied General Clayton. "The day of revolutions has passed, as far as Mexico is concerned. The people have had the blesslnss of peace for almost a generation, and they would not submit to a change of that kind. Besides, the revolutionary ele ment has died off In tho Interim, and a substantial business element of conserva tive people has taken its place." "As nn evidence of my faith in the stav bllity of Mexico I have been Investing la government bonds. They pay a little more than Blmllar securities in the United States, and I regard them as equally safe." Tho conversation here turned to political matters and I nsked General Clayton if he thought President Roosevelt would be nomi nated. "I dont think anything can prevent It," replied General -Clayton. "He will receive the nomination, and his election Is certain. "President Roosevelt has made a won derful administration," continued General Clayton. "He has insured the fact that the Panama canal will be built, and in that he has, In my Judgment, done the greatest thing for the United .States since our or ganization as a government, with the one exception of the Louisiana purchase. The canal will be of enormous benefit to all parts of the country." "You were one of the 306 who voted for Grant In 18S0, were you not?" "Yes, X was," replied General Clayton, "and I am proud of It. I still have my medal which was cast In honor of the oc casion." "I would like to ask you, general, as to the nntl-third term sentiment of that time. Did it really exist in the minds of the peo ple or was it a bugbear raised by the poli ticians to beat Grant?" "The anti-tiiird term sentiment," replied General Clayton, "was a creature of the politicians, not of the people. Our citizens have no objections to a president holding a third term provided other presidents have come in between. The only reason against a third term Is that the president might use his patronage for his re-elocUon. This could not ba charged against Grant, for ha was then out of office and had been so for four years." FRANK a CAKPKNTlia.