The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1911-02-16
ClTY.0F JUAhEl
STORM CEN TER
Is SITUATED ON BOUNDARY LINE
BETWEEN UNITED STATES AND
MEXICO. ATTACKED BY REV
OLUTIONISTS
HMOND. VA..-SpecI

the city Of El Paso," said John T n.
Sweeney. Of the metropolis Of the
southwestern d part of Texas. Mr..
Sweeney is a native OF ri Paso, and is
a student at the Medical College OF
Virginia. Mr.. Sweeney was much in
terested in the reports from the scene
OF the war, the city OF Juarez being
only a mile or so from his home.
The city of Juarez bears identi-
cally the same relation TO lei PasO that
Manchester, or South Richmond. bears
to the city Of Richmond. The situa-
tion is about as near Identical as could
be. Juarez. however. is in Mexico
and FL PaSO is in the land of the free
'Silvery Rio Grande, as some ro-
mancer has called il. AS TO that river
/ have played baseball in the bed Of
the stream during the dry season. have
made home run by going into Mex
leo and back to the United States be-
fore the ball could be fielded.
THE two cities are located in a
sort Of basin, say about eight or ten
miles across. This basin is on both
sides of the river, with the opening to
the situation concerns the city of
the east on the American side. As
Juarez, let me say that some two miles
all around the city are the foothills
of the Sierras. that being the noun
tain range which strikes that country.
These foothills are admirably situated
for the oVsratiOns of the besieging in
sure tbs. With cannon they can COM
mand every approach to the city and
in short order will be able to compel
evacuation of the place.
There are two bridges across the
Rio Grande into Juarez for pedestrians
and street cars and vehicles. There
are two railroad bridges in addition.
Two railroads enter Juarez-the Mexi-
can National and the Rio Grande, ST.
ezra Madre and Pacific. The Mexican
National goes to Mexico City, some
1900 miles south. and the other goes
to Casas Grande. which is the head
quarters Of the Mormons in Mexico.
Penetrate Rich Country.
Both these roads penetrate a rich
country. There are minerals Of all
sorts. timbers. fruits and cattle and
considerable farming. What makes
the possession OF Juarez so important
| is the fact that it is the key to the
general situation and the proposed
The capture Of that place by the in
SurrectOs means much more TO the
/ FederaiS than one would suppose.
That city commands the approach to
all the northern and western part OF
! Mexico. Through that city all the
shipments of any consequence must
come TO the United States
| The possession OF that city would
/ mean that the insurrectos would have
| -Untrol of the general situation, have
/ chance 20 get in some Of the sup
plies for the prosecution OF the war
/ could give TO the public real news OF
/ what is occurring in the struggle. At
| this time the government has control
| II the avenues of correspondence and
! IS to it that all reports OF the trou-
| b. there are censored. as they should
/ oc, TO present the best possible side
for the Mexican soldiers.
Political EXileS Return.
| Il happen TO know that there ar,
| in Texas great many men who were
| eNiled for political reasons from Mex
leo. They are taking advantage Of the
| existing struggle TO go back and &c
put up a fight for the principles fol
| which they were eXiled. And my in
formation is that they are returning
in large numbers. and in returning
| they lose no opportunity 90 carry with
them Winchester rifles and ample am
munition.
Then there is another element In
the contest-the soldiers OF fortune
| from the United States. There are
many OF these who are going right
into Mexico and are lending their en-.
| ergies and support to the insurrectos
and IN the many Americans there are
| former officers of the United States
| Army and the militia OF the States
OF course, the United States is doing
] all II can to prevent any sort OF aid
or comfort to the contestants, but with
a
| more west Of Ell Paso TO guard one
can see that there is abundant OPP
portunity for the men to eVade the
authorities.
InsurrectOs Are Best Troops.
There is no question In my mind
| that the insurrectos are the better OF
| the two contending forces. They ar,
| taken from the best elements Of the
| Mexican population-farmers cattle,
men, miners. Many of them are own
ers of valuable property. and they ar
| trying TO wrest the control OF tn,
| government from the administrator
of President Diaz- The insurrecto
are men from the immediate section
| in which they are fighting. The.
| know the country, are used to hare
work in the open. the climate suit
| them, and they can stand an awfu
amount of hard work
| The contrary is true OF the MeXi
can regulars. For the most part the
are men who come from the centra
and southern part Of the Mexican re
public. and they cannot acclimat
| themselves at once and be ready {
take the field for arduous campaign
ing. For this reason. with an eQua
number of men on each side, the ad
vantage Is very much favoring tn
insurrectos Then. too, the Mexican
| from the ChihuahuaSsection- tina
is where the fight is being waged a
this time-have the horses which en-
able them to move with swiftnes
from one point to another. The reg
ular troops are not so well equippe
In that respect.
Juarez Pretty Little Place.
"JuareZ nestles in the basin. as
nave said before. and is a pretty lit
tie place Of some 1900 to 1900
persons. The main street of the cit
is nice and levet thorouehfarf
some few of the houses-goyern
mental and busineSs-are of bricl
; but there VIII he found the oId-fash
Toned adobe structure, some Of Their
putt many years ago. Perhaps a mil
from the city proper is the famou
: Juarez race track. where the races ar
held every year. II is one of the hes
tracks in the country. and If on
wants TO see real sporting blood IL
r him 90 there and watch the men be
on the races The Mexicans are Dor
sports. and they will bet their las
penny on horse which meets thej
fancy.
On the two bridges at all time
are to be found the customs official
OF the United States and those I
, Mexico. A strict watch is kent q
all persons going to and from eithf
country and the duties are enforce