Page:Mexico under Carranza.djvu/45

Rh and most strongly insisted upon, was that proper provision had not been made for the education of the masses of the Mexican people. The Carrancistas pledged themselves to afford ample facilities for popular education, as the most important of the reforms which they were to institute. Notwithstanding this, we find that, although the population of the capital city of Mexico has increased nearly 50 per cent. since 1910, the last year of the Diaz administration, there is to-day in the Federal District containing the City of Mexico, 37 fewer schools than existed in 1910. Furthermore, while the Carranza budget for last year for education in the federal district and territories was 13,000,000 pesos, the national budget for education for 1919 carried only 5,500,000 pesos. This, of course, means that the public revenues are being so fully absorbed by the grafting officers of the army which keeps Carranza in power, that little is left for popular education. The failure of the Carranza régime to live up to its promises is emphasized by the fact that its declared annual income is 46,000,000 pesos larger than was that of the Diaz administration.

Propaganda publications maintained in Washington by the Carranza government assure the public in almost every number that peaceful conditions throughout all the territory of Mexico are nearly or quite restored. Notwithstanding all