Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1913-08-07
WAR TAKING AWFUL TOLL

Evsr-Growing Public Debt and
Country Ii Throes Of Re-
+ volt, Chaos Ruies.
Mexico City. Special: Mexico Is get
ting hungry, and early in July 1t was
evident that this condition would be
come much worse before relief could
he had. Failure to plant crops In thou
eAIds of fields formerly cultivated the
Increasing number of idle men due to
the closing down of numerous indus
trial concerns, and the indirect siege
Instituted against scores of cities have
resulted In reducing to a d~eplorable
condition regions where a great ma
l0rtty of the population aske only to
be permitted to work.
Lack of money resulting from lack
d work has had Its effect In increasing
tho prices, but the most direct u
has been the cutting Of the railroads
IN all parts Of the country.
The fall OF Durango revealed that
the people OF that town had been pay
ing fabulous sums for certain ordinary
commodities md that meat was an un-
sohtainahe luxury. TOrreon for a time
was Iii a situation almost as bad. Re-
ports from Chihuahua were that one
egg was bringing a peso and that eight
Pesos were paid for a kilo, or w and
fwO-fifths pounds, of sugar. Condi-
lions in Saltillo and Monterey became
serious Notwithstanding that the gov
ernnert 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 open marauding
hands OF rebels made 1t their business
a HHWr t.nnf III ~ "a osSfwxr oFl c,lnyo1ioa from
tho neighboring truck farms brought
81 on the backs OF Indians or in carts.
sfhe#effect OF these tactics has been
kecnfy felt In the capital itself, where
9prieGs have moro than doubled in the
past year.
Failure to plant crops has not yet
had Its full direct effect. The sea-
son Tor the maturing OF most crops
haA not come, but when 1t does, it IL
inevitable that the country will find
SttSalf forced to buy abroad, and money
~ scarce. In previous revolutions the
dered 3 since this IL he most wide
spread revolt the country has seen
there are hundreds OF thousands Of
Implanted acres.
Those who were attempting to keep
Id touch with revolutionary activities
~ marking map realized early in
July that the most simple ean vas
NOT ID. block IN with black those regions
sheld by the rebels, but to block In the
portions where. the governnaent's con-
troll wAs@unQuesttOncd. It was much
more simple and required much less
ukIee. n.
Keen expectations sOf euccess were
nteated by the determined efforts to
roopen the rHtir0ad1from the capital to
Laredo. but III spite sof spma success
attained the rebel movement continued
't0sgrOw and the government was forced
~ cOncede the 6eriouaness OF the sit
9iatlcn In tho extreme south In the
8stntes OF COMPREHENSIVE Tabasco. as
veil % In the north, while the rebels
@iirte between Vera Cruz and Tampico
forced the attention ofsSthe war depart,
a1ent.
From time to time marked ogre
al the campaign againststh the zapatistas
MS announced. and undoubtedly thou.
saNds were brought from that district
asld sent intosthe army. efiled to Quin-
sontttued active. carrying the warfare
characterized by fire and loot into
snetEhbOrtng states and even into the
federal district. That hands were OPP
trating In rifleshot of Tlaipam or San
AnSelsceaaed to excite interest on San
francisco street.
40 an example Of the nervousness
6elt fnsofficial centers was the fact that
t0ldfeFN were detailed to ride on the
suburbAn cars early in July
N6bAfs ON whom Pascual Oroxco last
yx~df~contarred the title Of a commits
seiCneds officer. and whose title was
sdsSdg With Quotat ton marks In the news
heir own. They were take,. into the
Army with the same rank. but in q
safxisi0n styled Irregular militia The
army had become topheavy with CLASSIC