It is not often that the United States has a chance to influence its neighbor beyond the Rio Grande to any great extent. For years conquests, diplomatic overtures, punitive expeditions, and commercial ventures have had equally little effect on either the thoughts or the actions of our sister republic. During the period since the Mexican War, the inhabitants of this tumultuous Spanish-American land, when they have meditated about our relations with them, have said to themselves with a shrug--"gringos--huh", and let it go at that. In spite of our proximity, we have failed surprisingly in all attempts directed toward the advancement of Mexican civilization.

President Obregon, a soldier, a revolutionist, but also a clever international politician, realizing that the lack of great leaders in his country was due to a considerable extent to the poor intellectual standards of the people as a whole, has determined to learn from these much despised American all that he can. By a scheme of cooperative scholarships, established jointly by variout state universities in the west and the Mexican government, the training in the United States of a goodly number of Mexican young men each year has been assured.

Although President Obregon may not realize it, he has given to this country the greatest weapon of influence in Mexico that it has yet had in its possession. By inculcating in these students American ideals and methods of though, these various colleges can exert a very wholesome, though somewhat long-distance control of affairs south of the border. It will take time for the effect to become evident, but if the embryo statesmen are given the proper attention and treatment, a gringo tinge will surely appear in the actions of the Mexican government before many years have passed.