Magon's Plans for Mexican Revolution

Nº 165

AHSRE L-E-954 bis F. 527

The Mexican Herald, México, D. F.

6 de agosto de 1908.

Magon's Plans for Mexican Revolution

Cipher letter between leaders intercepted.

Sounds like the advice of an anarchist.

Americans are grilled

Los Angeles Prisoner Urges Dynamite and Bombs Would Blow Up Factories and Power Plants in Order That Unemployed Might Be Drafted to Cause by Hunger Orizaba was to Be Captured and Looted Insulting

Descriptions of Americans.

A cipher letter from the avowed Mexican revolutionist Ricardo Flores Magon, who is still in prison in Los Angeles, California, to his brother Enrique, of El Paso, fell into the hands of the authorities at the time of the recent arrests in El Paso.

This interesting inflammatory document has been forwarded to Mexico and here translated. The letter was written in a simple but ingenious cipher, composed of figures and signs. It was closely and neatly printed in pencil, the entire code covering only eight small pages of note paper. By the usual method of counting the recurrence of a code sign the vowels were discovered and the alphabet then readily determined.

The ambitious plans of Magon to fire the enthusiasm of his countryment to revolt smacks not a little of the methods of the anarchists and his advice to destroy important plants and industries in order to force idle men to deeds of violence are not exactly suggestions to be expected from a true patriot.

Magons's residence among Americans does not seem to have given him a very high opinion of their character and attainments, though his present abode may tend to prejudice him.

The letter is as follows:

“Los Angeles, june 7, 1908.

“Enrique Flores Magon,

“El Paso, Texas.

“To day, the 7th, my dear brother, I am answering yours of the 5th, instant, to tell you that if you are anxious for the fixing of the date of the outbreak, Librado and I are desperate, for we fear that from one moment to the other, the forces of despotism may break up the groups. Will Manrique have already gone to Veracruz?

“Juan Olivares, one of those who, with our unfortunate José Neyra, Founded in Rio Blanco the newspapers 'Revolucion Social' and the 'Gran Credo de Obreros' is pledged to go to agitate the workmen of the factory district of Orizaba. He is a textile worker, and has been in this country since he came here two years ago with Neyra. He is a member of the Club here and works as a compositor with Palomares, in 'Libertad y Trabajo'. On the suggestion of the paper, it will be suspended, because Olivares is going to put himself to work in order to be able to go to Veracruz, and beside, the newspaper 'El Club' is losing ten dollars a week, and we can not pay expenses and put aside anything for moving the members of the board of directors whom I have pledged.

“If Olivares has an opportunity of meeting, at the factories, some of his old friends, the revolution can be opened in Orizaba; the best workers have fled from those accursed places, and those who have not fled are in the Valle Nacional, Quintana Roo, Tres Marias, and in the prisons. Because of this, Olivares is not sure of raising the people, but he will try it. I believe that Orizaba may fall into the power of the revolution, if the following plan, which I have communicated to Olivares, and which he will consider on the ground, is put into practice.

Destruction and Dynamite.

“In Orizaba there must be no less than 1,500 men, against whom it is impossible to work, except by means of dynamite, demolishing the barracks. At the same time, a small group will be charged with the destruction of the machinery at Necaxa, which produce the power for the factories of Rio Blanco, Nogales, Cocolapa, El Yute, and still others which there are located in that important region. Then, like an avalanche, the mass of workmen will throw themselves upon Orizaba, whose barracks at that precise moment will be in the act of disappearing, and the place will be in the hands of the revolution.

Can Sack Orizaba.

“Orizaba is a very rich city, where various millions of pesos and a great quantity of arms and munitions of commissary and war can be secured. If the attack against the barracks fails, there will in any case be more than 20,000 men without work, by the destruction of the machinery at Necaxa, and these men will be like others, as good as rebels, driven by hunger.

Need Skillful Dynamiters.

“Olivares needs the aid of a skillful dynamiter: he is to communicate this plan to Velazquez, to put him in accord. So I will send Olivares direct to Veracruz, to talk with Velazquez. I pray that I may be able to gather funds promptly to put him on his way.

“At what address will Olivares be able to find Velazquez? I believe that it would be well to address Joaquin O. Serrano, for him to pass it on to Velazquez. Can Serrano still be found in the postoffice of the port?

“Could not Ulibarre send Prax? the copies of the manifesto, because there is no sure address for him? I will tell Ulibarre to turn those copies over to Salvador. You will send them to Prax.

“Eustolio will probably be located in a commercial house this week and will not be able to come for the letters. He says that his mother will come; but that lady, besides being sick very frecuently, has many small children, lives a relatively long way from the jail, and is very poor to pay car fare. I believe that the best plan is for Ulibarre to bring and take correspondence, and Salvador will not have to do anything more than to go for it to Gaita's house, where Salvador will leave what you send me. If on Friday Ulibarre brings me your letters it will be a sign that the proposition is approved and I will then give him what I have for you.

List of Good Friends.

“In the list which I return, those who are good friends are indicated with a cross to the left. José I. Reyna, of Cedral, S.L.P., is not indicated; this Reyna is the one who has wanted to be put in communication with the rebel groups ever since we were in St. Louis, but we did not do this on account of the organization being secret. He felt it to some extent. I do not know whether he is really sincere. I warn you that those marked are not spoken for the revolution, nor do I know whether they will agree to form groups. I did not note the excellent Mateo Almanza, of Matehuala, because I do not know whether he is still in prison in San Luis Potosi. If any one goes to Matehuala, it would be well to inform himself regarding Mateo, who, if he is free, would be a great help. Mateo fell a few days before the affair of Acayucan and Jimenez. He was pledged for an uprising. I fear that the same thing may occur this time, that brave fellows like Mateo may fall before the movement commences, since it is very difficult for all those pledged for the uprising to observe the necessary secrecy. Albino Soto, of Temasopo, S.L.P., was one of those pledged for an uprising in the movement of year before last. In list which I add to the letter which you sent to me last Friday, I put Celso L. Robledo in Alquines, and I note it as José in place of Celso, by mistake.

True Anarchism Here.

“I do hope that you will manage to send out those five comrades to El Paso. I will send ten at least. The bad part is that they will go armed only with pistols, worse luck, but those who have no arms will arm themselves, even with stones; in every way they will help those who have no arms, since they can charge themselves with cutting wires, forcing the gates of armories and throwing bombs.

Fear American Intervention.

“We have thought much over the possible 'gringo' invasion on account of the revolution. We believe that if, in order to avoid the invasion, the American people are stirred up before the movement is commenced, we will have to prepare only for the two tyrants. It must be remembered that it has been decided not to circulate the revolutionary manifesto, for the precise purpose that Diaz may not make himself ready, and that we may be able to catch him unprepared. As regards Roosevelt, even should he not invade, he would send his troops to the frontier and we would miss the realization of part of the plan in not being able to smuggle comrades from this nation, such as the various groups in Texas. It would be impossible to take Juarez with the people sequestered in this country, nor would Diaz Guerra be able to pass the line with his people, and so on in order.

Americans Cold Blooded.

“But that is not all; the American people, and even the organized workmen of this cold blooded country are not susceptible to agitation. We have seen it in our own case. The unions and the Socialists know very well that we are not any of these politicasters such as those who start the revolutions in Latin America. Our manifesto expressed that in a manner that left no room for doubt. In that manifesto I appealed to the American people. Very well, but the agitation lasted but a moment. Only the unions of this city took action. Beyond this, with the exception of Pasadena, there has been nothing of a systematic sort, such as a formal campaign in our favor would require.

“He and there, from time to time, paragraphs have appeared in the labor or Socialist or unionist papers, but there has been no real campaign in our favor, in spite of the fact that the collusion of the two governments is flagrant, and the vile state to which the laws of this disgraced land has been brought through the machinations of carpetbaggers and judges.

Characterized as Pigs.

“The Americans are incapable of feeling enthusiasm or indignation. This is really a public of pigs. Look at the Socialists; they have split in a most cowardly way in their campaign for the liberty of speech. Look at the flaming 'American Federation of Labor', with its million and a half of members, which can not impede the injunctions of the judges when they declare against the unions or send their organized delegates to places where there is no organized labor. These attempts against Socialists and unionist are tremendous, but they do not move these people. Those without work are dispersed or chopped up as in Russia; Roosevelt asks congress to authorize postmasters to exercise censure over periodicals; the nation is militarized to the gait of a giant. Yet in spite of all, the elephantine Anglo Saxon is not excited, is not indignant, does not quaver. If the Americans are not disturbed with their own domestic miseries, can we hope that ours will matter to them?

Appeal through Yellow Press.

“Perhaps, in the anxiety which these animals have for sensational news, an agitation might be fruitful when the movement shall have broken out, provided the red skin horde has not invaded us and if it is then known that preparations are being made to throw their soldiers upon us. The news of the revolution now under way I am indeed sure will attract the attention of the 'gringos', as being truly sensational, and then, if we are still not invaded, perhaps opinion might be agitated in our favor, and the invasion avoided. I continue this letter over to to day, June 8. Possibly, if we commence an agitation against the 'gringo' invasion before such an invasion is ordered, or before Roosevelt takes the first steps toward putting it into effect, what we would arrive at might be their conviction of our impotence, and then, even if they had not thought of interfering, they might do so, convinced of our powerlessness.

American Invasion Inevitable.

“After all, the 'gringos', sooner or later, must throw themselves upon us, in order to secure possession of Lower California, which property they covet, for better or for worse. In Mexico at the present time there is a tremondous 'anti gringo' movement, and although the government of the traitor is accused of cowardice, the mere threat of Roosevelt to invade us would be enough to augment our ranks, with the result of finishing so much the more quickly with the traitor government, and if the 'gringo' should invade us anyway, he would have to contend with a people highly excited by the Yankee abuses, and in complete nervous tension on account of the revolution.

“Some time the 'gringos' will have to attack us so that if it be when the people are in rebellion against Diaz, it will precipitate the fall of the dictator, because the people will see Roosevelt clearly as allied with Diaz to enslave us, to lose us our autonomy.

“Of course once the revolution is commenced, if there is danger of invasion, we will have to agitate the cold and stupid Americans. What do you think?

“I am going to speak a little regarding the movement. The groups Nos. —will be completely ready, that is, armed as they and we desire. If we should wait until the groups are entirely ready, we should never be able to bring the revolution to a head, and from postponement to postponement, the time would go on passing, and the groups, infrequent as they now are.”