The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1913-08-07
MANY THOUSANDS IN
MEXICO VERGINC ON
ACTUAL STARVATION
Failure to Plant Crops Adds to
General Demoralized Con-
dition of Nation.
WAR TAKING AWFUL TOLL
Without Work and Money and an
Ever Growing Public Debt and
Country in Throes of Re-
volt, Chaos Rules.
WAR TAKING AWFUL TOLL

Mexico City. Special: Mexico is get
ting hungry, and early in July 1t wa!
evident hat this condition would b,
come much worse before relief coult
be had. Failure to plant crops in tnou'
sabds of fields formerly cultivated, thu
increasing number of idle men due tt
the closing down of numerous INDUS
trial concerns, and the indirect siege
instituted against scores of cities haFe
resulted in reducing TO a deploraplt
condition regions where a great ma
iority of the population asked only &c
be permitted to work,
Lack of money resulting from lack
pf work has had its effect in increasing
The prices, but the most direct cause
has been the cutting of the railroads
In all parts of the country.
The fall of Durango revealed thaI
the people of that town had been pay
Ing fabulous sums for certain ordinary
commodities and that meat was an un-
~obtainable luxury. Torreon for a time
WAS iii a situation almost as pad. Re-
ports from Chihuahua We're that one
egg was bringing a peso and that eight
pesos were paid for a kilo, or two and
two-fifths pounds. of sugar. Condi-
lions in Saltillo and Monterey became
serious Notwithstanding that the gov
eminent was able most of the time to
keep open the line from Tampico. In
all towns the neighboring country Is
depended Upon to supply a large part
of the food supply, but even where
railroads were kept pen marauding
bands OF rebels made it their business
to prevent the entry of supplies from
tho nefghboring truck farms brought
In on the backs of Indians or in carts.
rhe effect of these tactics has been
keenly felt In the capital itself, where
prices have more han doubled in the
past year.
had Its full direct effect. The sea-
son for the maturing of most crops
has not come. but when it does. it Ia
inevitable that the country will find
itself forced to buy abroad, and money
is scarce. In previous revolutions the
planting has not been SO seriously hin
dered. but since .hts is the most wide
spread revolt the country has seen
there are hundreds of thousands of
implanted acres.
Those who were attempting TO keep
In touch with revolutionary activities
by marking a map realized early in
July that the most simple means RAJ
not to block In with black those regions
held by the rebels. but to block in the
portions where the governments con-
troll was unquestioned. 1t was much
more simple and required much less
time.
Keen expectations of success were
created by the determined efforts to
reopen the railroad from the capital to
Laredo. but in spite OF some success
attained the rebel movement continued
to grow and the government was forced
TO concede the seriousness Of the sit
natton In the extreme south In the
states OF Campeche and T'abasco, as
we'll az In the north. while the rebels
operating in Vera r along the coast
between Vera Cruz and Tampico
forced the attention Of the war depart
nent.
From time to time marked progress
N the campaign against the Zapatistas
was announced and undoubtedly thou
sands We're brought from that district
and sent into the army, exiled to Qufn-
TANGO Roo or shot. But the Zapatistas
continued active. carrying the warfare
characterized by fire and loot into
n~eiEhboring states and even into the
sederal district. Tina bands were OPP
srating IN rifleshot of Tlalpam or San
Angel ceased to excite interest on San
Francisco street.
As an example of the nervousness
lelt In official centers WAS the fact that
soldiers were detailed to ride on the
suburban cars early In July.
Rebels on whom Pascual Orozco last
rear conferred the title Of a commits
stoned officer, ana whose title was
aaed with quotation marks I'm the news
papers Of tile capital, have come into
their own. They were taker. into tho
trfny With h same rank. but in q
iiyision styled Irregular militia THE
lrrny a become t%opheayy with classf-
acation5, and President Hlerta has is-
iued q decree converting all affiliated
?odies into the regular establishment
: was announced thar hereafter Cen
srai Crozco and General Saiazar and
,f titles should be generals or s,ch -
their rank might entitIe in the regular
trmy.
In connection with his program for
apnullding the army, Huerta nag ar
Tered q number Of changes that have
treated comment. some OF which Is nof
Mtogether favorable. One Of these Was
ne order to purchase iances with which
\ portion OF the cavalry viii be.
tQuipped instead of with sabres. The
IAct that the British used them with
some success In South africa Il SAID
% nave caused Huerta 10 insist mon
their use In his army.
The use Of more AUTOMOBILES also
n1s speenA insisted ON by the president
hnd t1e column Which went norm aIony
+ the lire OF the National raiIway car
REG apou 90 When the order
.SasItea the war department to use
tnoIe saulomobiles there was no time
4. -. Witn factories, n agents Of
he department Went on the streets
puying where they could from private
indivaduais ~ was Huerta's idea Ia
use tne cars not sc much for the ranid
transportation OF Officers Inf Ear IL
speedy movement Of reserves from the