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Show Aged Ruler Advo- H cates Measures That Insurgents Are Fighting For PEACE PARLEY I IS ARRANGED H Rebels Continue Ac- H tive Campaign in Northern Part of H Republic H By Associated Press. SAN ANTONIO, Tex', April 3 On what seoms absolute authority, the statement is made tonight that- an unofficial preliminary peaco con- f orence will be held at El Paso Mon- day, at which Francisco I. Madero, Sr., and his son Alfonso will meet with Salvator Madero, a relative and jl friend of President Diaz. 'M The two Maderos left here bo-cretly bo-cretly tonight for El Paao. On Mon-day Mon-day the messenger sent to Francisco I. Madero, Jr., the revolutionary leader In the field, is expected to re-turn re-turn to El Paso. Whether the con-ference con-ference proceeds farther depends upon Madero's reply to the proposal jH sent to him by bis father. IH By Associated Press. K MEXICO OITY, April 1. Commit- ting himself to the advocacy of many of the Jreforms demanded, by tho revo- lutionists, although professedly bowing only to the influence of public opinion, General Diaz answered his critics through his semi-annual message at the opening todaj' of tho national congress. Tho principle of no re-election of the chief executive and incumbents of oth- cr elective ofiices and the reform of the electoral laws so that the privilege of the ballot may be enjoyed by those cat- izens "who are considered capable of voting," were advocated. The message refers specifically to the application of the no re-election principle and to the naming, of guvcr-nors, guvcr-nors, ony of the chief contentions of the discontented elements throughout the republic, the president saying that if a bill providing for the "periodical renovation" of the officials in question should come before congress, it would have his earnest support. Abuse of power by .i?ft:s politicos, annotlicr of the crying evils complained of by residents of the rural districts throughout Mexico, is to be abated, according to the plan outlined by thu president. The president proposes to improve tho efficiency 01 the judiciary through a more careful selection of its per-sounel per-sounel and lengthening of tenure of of lice. Efficacious punishment of: judicial functionaries for malfeasance is to bo brought, about through the enactment of more stringent measures. The mcs-sage mcs-sage says; "Recent expressions of public opiu-ion opiu-ion on various questions of governnieu-tul governnieu-tul policy have attracted general atten-tion atten-tion and for this reason the executive deems lit to make public the measures which he believes ought to bo adopted and tho views by which he will bo Continued on Pago Five. DIAZ URGES REFORM UPQNTHECDWGRESS Mexican Ruler Advocates Measures Meas-ures for Which Insurgents Are Now Fighting. Continued Prom Page One. guided, in his endeavors to warrant the confidence which the country has reposed re-posed in liim. "The change of ministry just effected, ef-fected, aims, for example, at satisfying satisfy-ing in practico ouo very general aspiration, aspir-ation, which is that the political personnel per-sonnel be renovatod from time to time. I have not hesitated to part with the services of capable, honorable advisors who for n greater or less length of time have given me their valued co-operation. "My single aim has been to set the precedent ot not carrying, on the government gov-ernment indefinitely with the Bamc cabinet, however high tho merits of the persons composing it be, and to show that room, should be made from time to time for new energies in the direction of public affairs. "Furthermore, measuros will be taken that will demonstrate a firm pur-nns(. pur-nns(. to fivii heed to reasonable com plaints that, are made agaiust some of tho authorities, especially those who I are in closest touch with the people. "It is to be hoped that in this policy the federal government will bo seconded by the governors of slates, which, by reason of the administrative instrumentalities depending on them, arc better able to remody the evil." Divison of Estates. On the subject of the division of great private " estates, first broachod by Minister Limantour in his Paris interview, the chief: executive declared his determination to find efficient means to bring about this innovation. In no previous message of the president pres-ident has there ever ueen anything in the nature of a rocommendation. Until Un-til today his messages have boon mere resumes of things accomplished. The public, knowing that the president pres-ident would in this message to the Twenty-fifth congress depart from the ordinary course and suggest special spe-cial legislation, has shown intense interest. in-terest. From the minute the chief executive ex-ecutive entered the chainbor of deputies depu-ties until tho last word of bis message mes-sage had been read every man on the floor jas well as those persons in the able seat in the galleries was occupied either by diplomats, public officials or by those fortunate enough to have obtained ob-tained cards of admission. President Diaz appeared no more aged tonight, than he did when he read his message in September, and in spite of the fact that the reading tonight required more than an hour, his voice was as strpug at tho conclusion as at the beginning. Intense Interest Shown. Oulv once was the president inter-rupted inter-rupted by applause. At tho mention of reforms there was a spontaneous clapping clap-ping of hands for one brief minute and then no more was heard until the close, when the big auditorium resounded resound-ed to bandclappiug aud crios of "Viva, I' Tho audience followed the reader keenly. Now and then someone some-one would cough or a shuffling of feet would bn hoard and instantlv scores of frowning faces were turned I toward the origin of tho sound and a low chorus of hisses, the signal for silence, would arise. After reviewing at length, the progress prog-ress of tho nation in the last six months and briefly the events leading up to the rebellion and its progress, the message continued: "The principle of no re-election for executive functionaries olected by popular popu-lar sulfracc had not of late been broached in uny of the legislative assemblies of the republic, and for that reason tho federal o.vccutive had not thought proper to express an opinion as to a question which by its nature falls within the province of those assemblies, but seeing that the Issue was recently brought up in some of the state legislatures and discussed In ihe press the executive lakes this occasion to manifest his hearty assent as-sent and if a bill Is brought before congress con-gress providing for the periodical renovation renova-tion of the functionaries referred to the administration will give to such measure its earnest support. J&eiorm oi .Election Laws. "Intimately bound up with the adoption adop-tion of the principle of no re-election Is the question of the reform of the electoral laws for, inasmuch as tho long continuance in power of certain functionaries func-tionaries is believed to be In part attributable at-tributable to the defects of those laws, it Is indispensable without delay to amend them, to Insure tho electoral activity ac-tivity of thoso citizens who arc considered con-sidered capable of voting with a full consciousness of what they are doing. "In view of the not very .satiaiactory results of the measures hitherto taken to bring about the division of largo rural estates on terms that would be fair to all concerned, so ns to render those estates es-tates available for tillage, tho executive Is determined to lint! means for carrying out this Important project in tho most efliclent manner possible "At different times endeavors have been made to introduce reforms In the administration of Justice In the federal courts and In the local courts of the federal fed-eral district and territories and these endeavors alono sufilco to demonstrate the importance which the executive attaches at-taches to the Improvement of this vltni function, At tho same time the executive ex-ecutive is not unaware that much remains re-mains to be done to complete the work and to correct the defects which observations obser-vations bring to light and public opinion poluts on I. Kef orm of Judiciary. "The -arious measures which it Is proposed pro-posed to Introduce after a mature and minute consideration of all the elements of the problem will a m fundamentally at Insuring moro effectively the independence independ-ence of the Judiciary by securing a more H.'lect personnel and lengthening their term of office, while another object of llii iwasuro In question will by to render ren-der more stringent the responsibilities of Judicial functionaries by providing rcallj eftlcacloufi forms of procedure for bringing bring-ing thorn to uccount in case ot nui- fUGenerai' Diaz paid a high tribute to the loyalty and valor of the Moxlcaii aoldlorK and took up the subject of the mobilization of the American army. In con nection witli tho serious occurrences occur-rences the executive had observed thM. the rebels were recruiting tlllbusters and effecting their organization on American territory and therefore drew the atlen-Uon atlen-Uon of ill" government of the United State" to their actfi. That govornmcn . aetliur bv virtue of Its laws of neutrality, at once adopted such measures as It Lined adequate, which the government f Mexico recognized and appreciates. A little later there was an unusual concentration con-centration of American forces near the lj"Tnn executive as in duty bound," Mv? General DIM, "gavo instructions to EmbasSr do la Barm at Washington S -isle ror ai T explanation of tho step. "That explanation caused a message from President Tuft. In which ho generously gen-erously gave assurances that th a concentration con-centration of forces had no s IsnlHeance wmh : h ould cause concern to the friend -W n&Mveor tho United States on the L m, vith Irawal of American wnr-' wnr-' Whic had been ordered to the waters of both our coasts and the fact a . jgjMgSjjjj9 that tho land forces are shortly to engage en-gage In maneuvers afford the best proof .of the sincerity of those assurances which have been reiterated on subsequent occasions." Reviewing the circumstances leading up to the rebellion, President Diaz In his message said: "A group, which at the lost federal elections presented candidates for the presidency and vice presidency of the republic, only polling, however, a small minority of tho votes, proved unwilling to limit its activity to the legitimate exercise of the popular suffrage which it had advocated, but after the elections were over took up arms, disturbing the peace which the country bad for long years enjoyod." After relating the discovery In advance of the plot and the outbreak at Pueblo, the message resumed: "On tho date set for tho general insurrection, in-surrection, various groups composed of tho peasant cbiss rose In arms In tho mountainous region of western Chihua hua, talcing advantage of favorable local conditions enabling them to dofend themselves. them-selves. These circumstances, together with tho efficacious co-operation which tho rebels have received In men and warlike war-like supplies both from foreign sources and from a group of Mexicans who for years past have conspired not only against the present government, but also against all social order, afford a ready explanation why It Is that tho revolt was gradually extended over almost the entire en-tire state of Chihuahua and to sundry points in the states of Sonora and Durango, notwithstanding the efforts of tho federal government and tho governments govern-ments of tho several states In question to check It." Tho president described briefly tho growth of brigandage following the disorders dis-orders in the north and the outbreak In Lower California. The lattor. ho said, was Initiated by communist bands. Including In-cluding a number of American filibusters, filibus-ters, for tho purpose of founding a socialistic republic "fThis enterprise," ho said, "cannot but provoke tho utmost Indignation throughout through-out tlie country, and I am sure that, if necessary, the Mexico people, ever patriotic and zealous of their autonomy, will hasten to the defense of the national na-tional territory." |
