1044.

MEXICO

Defence.

The Mexican army is recruited by voluntary enlistment (for terms of 3, 4, and 5 years), supplemented by a conscription which falls entirely on

the poorest classes. , . r ^ . o

The armv in time of peace consists of 30 battalions of infantry, 18 regi- ments of cavalry, 1 regiment of horse artillery, 2 regiments of field artillery and 1 of mountain guns (all of 4 batteries), 2 battalions of garrison artillery, 1 of engineers and some units of train, &c. On mobilisation each 4 company battalion (including the engineers) forms a regiment of 2 bat- talions. The 4 battery regiments of artillery are raised to 6 batteries, and the cavalry regiments to 6 squadrons. There are also about 2,000 gen- darmerie. The war strength is supposed to be 84,000 of all ranks, but it is doubtful if it would amount at present to more than 50,000.

The total peace strength of the Mexican forces in 1912 was 107 generals, 6,236 officers and 49,332 men. The military budget of Mexico for the year 1910-11 amounted to 2,178, OOOZ. . . . ,nr^, ^

The infantry are armed with the Mauser magazine rifle, model lyui, aiict the cavalry carry the Mauser carbine; but the reserves hare only the Remington rifle of 1893. Tiie field and horse artillery are equipped with Q.F. guns on the Schneider Canet system.

The Navy consists of five gunboats: Bravo, Morales, Tampico, Vera Cruz, and Zaragoza. There are also a couple of armed transports.

Production and Industry.

Cultivated lands, 30,027,500 acres; pastoral lands, 120,444,200 acres; forest lands, 43,933,200 acres. Agriculture is in a very primitive con- dition. Agricultural products are maize, cotton, henequen, wheat, cofiee, beans; cotton is grown in the Laguna districts on the Nazas Kiver, and is dependent on irrigation which is being extended. There is a large output of su<^ar and molasses, valued at about 2,600,000/. annually (crop for 1911-12 estimated at 160,000 tons), and the production of spirits m 1910 was ^' 838 000 crallons. There are 1,674 alcohol distilleries. There are many colonies, or agricultural settlements, established either by the Government or by companies or persons authorised by the Government. ^ ^ ^ .

On June 30, 1902, there were in Mexico 5,142,45/ head of cattle, 859,217 horses, 334,435 mules, 287,991 asses, 3,424,430 sheep, 4,206,011 goats, and 616,139 pigs, the whole being valued at 120,523,158 dollars, or

about 12,052,316Z. , m •. • i n ^-i

Mining is carried on in 24 of the 31 States and Territories, nearly all the

mines yielding silver either alone or in combination with other ores. Mineral products exported in 1908, 1909, and 1910:~

1909

1910

Gold, kilogrammes Silver, kilogrammes . Copper and ore, metric Lead aud ore ,,

Iron and ore ,,

Antimony ,,

Zinc ore , ,

Graphite , ,

Mavble ,,

Salt

Asphalt , ,

Sulphur ,,

tons

29,383

2,191,249

117,484

122,907

31,970

2,254,103

203,405

12.5,396

2

1911

45,790 2,304,266

151,884 124,581

4,095

4,375

4,193

41,267

54,136

40,293

1,690

2,722

2,655

992

1,166

786

5,365

4,429

2,225

5,692

3,691

6,172

3352

3,221

4,932