Mexico has loomed large in the affairs of the world during recent
years. The overthrow of Diaz in 1911 did not, as the world had hoped,
bring into power an earnest and energetic middle class capable of
guiding the downtrodden peons into the blessings of civilization. On
the contrary, the land passed from the grip of a cruel oligarchy into
that of a far more cruel anarchy. Hordes of bandits sprang up
everywhere. The new president, Madero, was a philosopher and a patriot.
But he failed wholly to get any real grasp of the situation. He was
betrayed on every side; rebellion rose all around him; and in his
extremity he entrusted his army and his personal safety to the most
savage of his secret enemies, General Huerta. Madero died because he
was too far in advance of his countrymen to be able to understand them.
After that, Huerta sought to reestablish the old Diaz regime of wealth
and terrorism; but he only succeeded in plunging the land back into
utter barbarism.
The Mexicans are the last large section of the earth's population thus
left to rule themselves in savagery. Hence the rest of the world has
watched them with eagerness. Europe repeatedly reminded the United
States that by her Monroe Doctrine she had assumed the duty of keeping
order in America. At last she felt compelled to interfere. The picture
of those days of anarchy is here sketched by two eye-witnesses, an
Englishman and an American, both fresh from the scene of action.