Page 2B/The Battalion/Thursday, May 5, 1983
Mexico not expecting many Americans
Border towns to observe Cinco de Mayo^
United Press International
Border towns from Tijuana to
Matamoros Thursday will cele
brate El Cinco de Mayo, one of
Mexico’s principal holidays, but
cities on the American side,
thanks to the devalued peso, will
not get as many visitors this year.
“Cinco de Mayo,” the fifth of
May, once was a retail mer
chant’s dream, a Brownsville,
business leader said. “This year,
the only visitors we get will be
relatives from Mexico.”
El Paso merchants plan a
sales promotion to recapture
customers from Mexico who no
longer can afford to shop in
Texas as a result of the peso’s
drop.
San Diego, Calif., promoters
of the holiday said Cinco de
Mayo is celebrated more in Cali
fornia than in Mexico.
“Regardless of the peso de
valuation,” said Vi Murphy, a
San Diego tourism promoter,
“we’re celebrating the holiday
big. There will be festivals
throughout southern California
and a number of activities in the
San Isidro-San Diego area.”
In Weslaco, about 20 miles
east of McAllen, the Chamber of
Commerce is organizing a block
party called “Noche en Wesla
co,” but promoters said the par
ty is more of a coincidence than
an actual celebration of Cinco de
Mayo.
AH government offices,
schools, banks and factories will
close, with only essential busi
ness and tourist facilities re
maining open.
)lic"
The holiday will be marked
with parades of thousands of
school children and mounted
charros, Mexican horsemen, in
most border cities.
A number of Mexican em
ployees will take Friday off to
stretch the holiday into a long
weekend.
In large and small cities
throughout Mexico, speeches
will extoll the virtues of the
valiant Mexican army that beat
the crack French troops on May
5, 1862 and marked the begin
ning of the end of Napoleonic
rule in Mexico.
In 1862, as in 1983, Mexico
underwent financial stress. The
new republic, which won its in
dependence from Spain in 1821
after an 11-year revolutionary
war, was penniless.
Mexican officials had adver
tised the riches of the country to
the world, historians said, and
the great European powers be
gan investing in Mexico.
The struggling new republic,
because of economic stress, was
forced in 1862 to temporarily
suspend payment of debts con
tracted with England, France
and Spain. When Mexico could
not pay its foreign debt, those
countries demanded money or
territory as a guarantee against
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1st SUMMER SESSION
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dine on a meal plan during the 1st Summer Session at
TAMU. Students selecting the 7-day plan may dine
three meals each day, except Sunday evening: those
selecting the 5-day plan may dine three meals each
day, Monday through Friday. Meals will be served in
Commons. Fees are payable to the Controller of Ac
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Notice dates: Commons will be open for cash business
on Registration day, May 30. Meal plans will begin on
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Fees for each plan are as follows:
7 Day $195.00 May 31 through July 1
5 Day $176.00 and
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Meal plan validation will begin at 7:30 a.m., May 31, in
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future payments, historians
said.
The English wanted money,
not territory, and cared little
who recovered it for them. The
dispute among the powers was
over which one of them would
do the “recovering.” And the
choice eventually narrowed to
Spain or France.
Spain, still smarting from los
ing Mexico earlier in the cen
tury, was anxious to get back in,
but Napoleon III of France had
other ideas.
Napoleon had hoped to come
away with part of Mexico’s na
tional territory, Sonora and
Lower California, where a
French colony could be estab
lished.
Further, historians said,
Napoleon wanted to establish a
monarchical government in
Mexico with the help of power
ful Mexicans who wanted a king.
The commander of the
French Army, arriving in Verac
ruz on March 5, 1862, wrote to
his superiors that the conquest
of Mexico would be easy.
The French general nad not
counted on the determination of
President Benito Juarez nor of
the military genius of General
Don Ignacio Zaragoza.
In Puebla, Mexico, the under
manned troops of Zaragoza
handed the French a humiliat
ing defeat.
In took five years, but Mexico
finally put an end to Napoleon’s
schemes. Maximilian was instal
led as emperor of Mexico in
1864, as part of Napoleon’s
plans.
After the battle of Puebla,
Spain and England, viewing
Mexico’s resolve, withdrew from
the alliance.
The French “empire j
ico finally cametoaneiii
a.m. June 17, 1867 inQ
when Maximilian waseJ
Zaragoza, hero of tlif|
was a Texan. I
March 24, 1929, in]
Espiritu Santo, and;
primary school in Mat
across the Rio Grand!
Brownsville. He lateralis
seminary in Monterrey j
After a brief stint a
chant in Monterreyhels
cadet, served in the!
Guard and was nami
sergeant and latercaptai
army of General SaniaJ
Although he defea
French in one of thej
battles in Mexican histoi!
f oza never lived to seeik ,
rench rule. In 18621i(|
typhoid fever.
men
Colorado popular
tor car commercials
United Press International
DENVER — Lured by Col
orado’s unique geography and
scenic mountain splendor, na
tional and international auto
mobile manufacturers are dis
patching camera crews to the
state in unprecedented numbers
to film product-enhancing com
mercials.
During 1982 commercial film
activity pumped $8 million into
Colorado’s economy, and offi
cials believe automobile com
mercials accounted for a sub
stantial chunk.
“Last year car commercial
filming in the state reached
probably its highest point,”said
Bob Edwards, Colorado Film
Commission assistant director.
“And I expect this year will
equal or perhaps exceed last
year.”
Since August 1982, when car
commercials began increasing
after a five-year lull linked to the
early 1970s energy crisis, film
crews representing automobile
makers have kept Edwards and
commission staffers busy accom
modating requests for scenic
locations.
Two months ago Audi 5000
filmed commercials in the
mountain resort of Keystone,
and last fall Toyota used the
14,000-foot-high Pikes Peak
highway near Colorado Springs.
Chevrolet, Mazda, Buick and
Datsun also frequented the state
over the past year.
Unquestionably, Edwards
said, Colorado’s picturesque
snow-blanketed mountil
ing winter, snow-cappeil
during summer, goldtl
leaves during fall andfl
moving, crystal-dear
were enticements foraJ
ers aiming to enhancei n
ty of their products. I
“It’s nice to show pci
cars in surrounding it of
a ie
Educational Center
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JULY 10
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for details
you’d like to be,” Edwai
“In Colorado, thereareimot
foothills, prairies and ping
tains to show in a radiiiiEng
miles which makes itktBer
to a production comp; pal. ’
can save a lot of monetf
An equal contributo:kht
state’s boon in automobfougl
mercials was the declines we
line prices and the stabilfi’ll t
automobile prices, he- pithi
“Since last year,
more automakers seend
to show high performaiq
he said. “And that’sbecat
of people are realizingtl
have better perforaianaj
little bit more luxury tl
prices have stabilized''
“To get that across toil 1 '
sumer, manufacturers*!
viously were confinedtoi I '
dios doing commercial. 1 If f
rebates, are now puttinjunp:
mobiles back into natutfio g;
Edwards said the eigl |lur
old film commission, wli a s
the first of its kind in the ds
played a key role ini
cooperation between pna
state film crews, localrO’d
and officials. Dta
‘If those aren’t seagulls ... were in trouble’
There’s a better way
to see America this summer.
Now that school's out, take some time out to see America.
And a great way to see it is on Greyhound with Ameripass®.
The Greyhound Ameripass is your passport to unlimited
travel in the U.S. and Canada. For one economical price, you get
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If you're going straight home, don't forget about
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chances are Greyhound's going there.
So this summer, leave your car at home and go Greyhound
with an Ameripass.
For more information, call your local Greyhound agent.
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© 1982, Greyhound Lines, 1<