disabilities under which they had groaned so long. But they were doomed to disappointment as bitter as it was unlooked for. Madero proved himself to be but a dwarf with a giant's voice—a talker, not a doer. Moreover, he surrounded himself with men of the same stamp—doctrinaires, people of no experience and less ability—so that the affairs of the country speedily became complicated and went from bad to worse. The National Debt leaped up in a most alarming fashion, and the Madero Government went through 160,000,000 pesos (£16,000,000) in two years without leaving anything to show for the money, or, indeed, even deigning to enter details of its expenditure in the Treasury accounts.
But there were many other causes for uneasiness as well as the rapidly rising national indebtedness. The Maderist Government, so far from favouring the introduction The Fall
of Madero.of foreign capital into the Republic, were actively hostile to such a policy; moreover, they permitted bands of robbers and highwaymen to overrun parts of the country, a thing unknown in Mexico for more than a generation. General Felix Diaz, a nephew of the ex-President, sensing the discontent around him, raised the standard of revolt in an attempt to overthrow the Maderists, who, however, bribed the leading revolutionists so generously, that they abandoned the cause to which they had pledged themselves. General Diaz and General Reyes were taken prisoners, and later were incarcerated in Belem prison in Mexico city.
In February, 1914, however, a fresh revolt broke out. It was decided upon to strike a blow in the capital, the garrison of which was won over. By this time, everybody had become disgusted with the Maderist Government, especially when they saw the great apostle of popular freedom place over 100 of his relatives in Government offices. At dawn on Sunday morning, 9th February, the first cavalry regiment, along with two artillery regiments, left Tacubaya barracks for Mexico city, being reinforced on the way by
