The Washington herald., 1913-02-17
Continued from, Page One.

aIInulling the concessions which had pre-
viously been granted by Diaz to the
Eagle Oil Company. He said that with
out any question Madero obtained money
in the United States to be paid by spe-
cial privileges to be granted by his gov-
crnment. ~
Mr.. Lujan called attention to the fact
that at the time Madero assumed the
Presidency the Federal treasury of Mex
leo contained 100000 pesos; that II had
been running behind its receipts at the
rate of 100000 pesos a month, ard last
September there were in the Federal
tire asury 100000 pesos. Mr.. Lujan at
that time predicted that the Madero gov
ernment. because OF an empty treasury,
would fall in January or February, 1918.
A great deal of testimony has been in
ltroduced before the committee to the af-
feet that the hostilities of the MeXicans
against Americans, thousands OF whom
have suffered from personal injuries and
the destruction Of their property, has
been caused by the belief that the Amer
lean Government has all along sided with
Madero in his efforts to obtain and keep
lcontrol Of the government of Mexico. All
the present revolutionary leaders have
expressed themselves with the utmost
bitterness on this account.
For many months the railroads in
Mexico have been practically out of
u
interrupted. and hundreds OF bridges
have been burned and blown w. Last
November American railroad men In
| Mexico were notified that they must get
out: that no American railroad employees
would be tolerated in Mexico: that the
| lrevolutiOnists would shoot them on sight
IL they remained there.
Army Utterly Inemcient.
The testimony is overwhelming that
the Mexican Federal army Is utterly inef
ficient. 1t Is recruited largely from the
penitentiaries and jails: most of the SOL
ders are the scum of the cities. and they
are wretchedly equipped. The revolution
| lists, OH the contrary. are mountaineers
| and farmers, thoroughly familiar with
the country, and accomplished horse
men. which the Federal soldiers are not.
The most efficient soldiers in Mexico at
| the present time are the Yaqui Indians.
| many Of whom are enlisted in the fed
eral army.
When depredations by the revolution
lists are reported TO the Mexican Federal
commanders in the neoghboring towns.
they shrug their shoulders and say they
have no authority to pursue the d.preda-
tors.
Hundreds of pages Of the testimony
taken before the committee relate to the
disturbed and lawless conditions in all
parts Oh IN tns
northern states. Practically every Amer
lean in Mexico tells the same story of
robbery. destruction of property. kidnap-
ping for ransom. personal injuries and
utter disregard OF the rights of life and
property.
Flight of the Mormons.
\ graphic description OF the persccu-
ton OF the 400 Mormon colonists in Chi
huahua, Mexico. was given by Junius
Romney. ecclesiastical representative of
the Mormon church in the colonies. The
colonies were founded in 1885. There are
ten Of them in the State of chihuahua.
Attempted rape, firing upon women and
children who We're leaving the country,
and, finally. forcing an exodus of vir-
tually the entire membership OF the col
onies to FL Paso and points in Arizona
ire some Of the charges laid against the
rebel bands. which have roved the state
since the Madero administration began.
The colcnists still are in temporary quar-
tiers, 100 OF whom are in FL Paso. many
living in government loaned tents.
The colonists had refused steadfastly
TO take any part in the political unrest
in their locality. said Romney. They had
gradually armed themselves for their own
protection. During the OroZco revolt they
were disarmed by the rebels. despite their
protests that their women and children
would be at the mercy of the lawless
outpourings from prisons and peniten-
tiaries, from which the armies of both
factions were largely recruited.
SalaZar the OroZco leader, even refused,
Romney said. to permit the men to retain
their arms until they could get their
women and children across the border.
telling Romney that II the latter didn't
advise the colonists TO give up their arms.
the rebels would declare war upon them
and treat them as they would the Madero
soldiery.
There were then nearly 2.ooo troops
around the different towns colonzed by
the Mormons They had run of virtually
all the cattle belonging TO the colonists,
had looted their stores. taken $40. 600 from
one of their banks. and pillaged the coun-
try generally. according TO Romney.
Rebels Harry Fleeing Women.
Even while the exodus across the border
was on. the retreating women and chill
dren were harried by rebel bands, fired
upon and kept in constant danger.
midnight attack upon the hacienda
of an American ranch in the territory of
Tepic was followed by four-day
chase of the ten American occupants
five women and five men-who escaped.
half clad. after~a four-day chase by the
bandit-rebels.
W. Fl. windham. manager OF the
ranch, showed in a protest to the Amer
lean consul the anti-American sentiment
which is being worked up throughout
Mexico by INSCRIPTIONS politicals who
inform the ignorant masses that the
plan of the United States is to annex |
Mexico, kill most Of the Mexicans and |
enslave the rest as the Spaniards did.
American Held for Ransom.
William n. Fink. general superintend- |
ent of the San Toy Mining Company, |
operating in the Santa Eulalia district. |
Chihuahua, was taken by rebels last |
summer and held prisoner until his COM
pany had paid one of Orozco's generals |
5000 pesos. $500. Madero's troops were
within three hours ride OF the place of |
his confinement. knew all the circum-
stances, and refused to move a step
toward his assistance despite vigorous
representations from the State Depart
ment and from the United States consul. |
A typical example of the attitude Of
the Mexican insurgents toward Amer
ican property owners in, Mexico Is found
in the letter of Inez Salazar to H s.
Stephenson. manager of the great Po-
Tomas Land and Cattle Company, whose
ranch is located in Northwestern Chi
huahua, just south of the American bor-
der. Mr.. Stephenson testified that the
Insurgents had taken between 500 and 600
horses belonging to his outfit, and that
a herd Of 5000 cattle, instead Of in
creasing in numbers in the last two
years has actually decreased.