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 During the decade 1900–1910, agrarian reformers, among whom were Soto y Gama, Villareal, the Magon brothers, and others afterward prominent in the revolution, agitated in Morelos with pamphlets, speeches and proclamations, and even attempted revolt in 1906. They were forced to flee the country and joined a group of Mexican propagandists who organized as the revolutionary committee of the Mexican liberal party with headquarters at St. Louis, Mo. They seized the opportunity of the Mexican strikes to circulate propaganda in the United States and by underground methods in Mexico. The secret service of the Roosevelt administration caused a number of these agitators to be arrested in St. Louis, San Antonia, El Paso, and California, and, finally, three of them were sentenced to imprisonment for breach of neutrality laws. Magon died in prison. The American socialist and labor movements were aroused and declared their sympathy with the Mexican revolutionary movement. There was also agitaion in Yucatan, where a Cuban labor organizer was deported and Felipe Carrillo was imprisoned for reading the constitution to the Indians.

In 1908, middle class political agitation began in Mexico after publication of the Creelman interview, in which Diaz stated that his country was now ready for democracy, that he would allow political opposition, and retire in favor of any opponent legally elected. This statement caused much surprise in the United Statees and in Mexico. A few months later, Madero came out with a moderately expressed criticism of the Diaz regime a a book, "The Presidential Succession", which, 1910, had been published in three editions. Sev-