supplied by the splendid record these people have made in the realms of art and art craft, music, architecture, oratory, medicine, the sciences and in the broad field of literature. So potent are these characteristics of this interesting and misunderstood race that a modicum of its blood, introduced into the veins of the volatile and emotional Latin, becomes a wonderful balance by virtue of its steadfast, taciturn, virile, far-seeing and poetic qualities.

The conglomerate character of this aggregation of races and tongues and characteristics affords vast wealth of material for study by ethnologists. Baron von Humboldt, who was probably the most thorough of the many students of Mexico might have appropriately included its races as well as its minerals when he declared it to be the "Treasure House of the World."

AMERICAN INVESTMENTS IN MEXICO

It is both interesting and instructive to give here a somewhat detailed account of American investments in Mexico up to 1912, when the revolution had gotten well under way and had practically stopped the establishing of new enterprises and the operation of many old ones, both foreign and Mexican owned. These investments had reached a grand total of $1,057,770,000 according to one of our consuls, while England had only invested $321,302,800; France, $143,446,000, and all other countries-Mexico includedonly $1,376,471,422. The American investments consisted of:

1,200,000

Rubber industry.

Professional outfits.

Insurance..

Theatres..

Hotels...

Institutions, public and semipublic...........

These figures are exceedingly illuminating. They not only give the reader an authentic basis on which to estimate the importance of the part played by the United States in the development of Mexico's natural resources, but show our confidence in her good faith and emphasize the magnitude of our opportunity and our duty as a commercial and financial nation, not only to deserve and hold the vantage ground already gained, but to extend and strengthen it in every proper and legitimate way. The door is wide open, and the extended hand of welcome bids us enter. Ours is the advantage of contiguity, reciprocal possibilities, neighborly obligations and mutual interest in the broadest sense of these words which are so full of meaning. But we must rightly understand and be understood if we hope to reap the possible fruits of this opportunity and these advantages in full measure.

And herein is the most important necessity at present devolving upon both Mexico and the United States in their relations to each other and to their common interest. It has been too long neglected. If, in recent years, one-half the money and organized effort had been devoted to disseminating the truth with reference to Mexican-American relations and mutual interests that have been devoted to a propaganda of falsehood conducted by designing political adventurers, much bad feeling, a vast sum of money, many lives and incalculable injury to future trade and industrial interests of both countries would have been saved.

It would seem that neighboring nations are no less addicted to the gossip habit regarding each other's affairs than are individual neighbors next door or across the street. The only difference lies in the degree of resultant injury.

AREA AND POPULATION

Mexico, the land of infinite possibilities, has a superficial area of 765,525 square miles exclusive of a number of small islands which, according to official statements aggregate 20,356 square miles. This enormous area is divided as follows:

Occupied by cities, towns, roads, lakes and rivers..
In actual cultivation...

100,000

20,000

This area is occupied by twenty-eight states, two territories and a federal district. The superficial area of these is given officially as follows:

The population of the several states in 1910, in which year the last government census was taken, was as follows:

To census Mexico fully has always been a difficult, if not impossible task. What with its vast mountain fastnesses so difficult to penetrate, its lack of transportation facilities and a prevailing prejudice, amounting often to absolute

1,124,368

339,613

477,556

720,753

52,272

superstition and even to actual fear, the enumerator has been met with disfavor always, and not infrequently with hostile demonstrations.

Add to these elements an ever present percentage of inefficiency, and you have at least reasonable justification for concluding that the total population was very considerably more in 1910 than was shown in the above table. For many years it has been generally stated to be in round numbers 15,000,000 in the entire republic; whereas, if we consider the natural increase since that year, together with the above and other elements which should be included in forming a fair estimate, 20,000,000 would, I am convinced, be nearer the truth.

It is particularly interesting to note the inconsiderable foreign population in 1910, as shown by the census reports (116,527) and divided as follows:

There is food for reflection, both serious and amusing, in this brief and innocent statistical statement, if one takes the trouble to analyze it even in the most casual manner.

Ever since the political demise of President Diaz and the "cientificos," and particularly since the inauguration of the world war, the German colony in Mexico has been persistently used as a bogey, a counter-irritant and a reason for keeping a large military force on the north bank of the Rio Grande which otherwise would be dispatched to France and be employed in the work of helping to conquer the real German danger "over there." At no time has this bogey deserved a fraction of the attention it has received;