The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1914-04-30
ARMY FORCES.
|MEX|CANS TO.
CLEANSE CITY
0F VERA CRUZ
Residents Wonder Why Sol
diers Insist Upon Sanitary
Measures Turs the
City Over to Army.
BY THOMAS p. COATE,
Special Correspondent of the Interna-
tional News Service.

tiOndi news SSFvICS.
VERA CRUZ, April 30.-Brigadier
General Frederick Funston, command
er of the Fifth infantry brigade of the
United States army, today took SUI
preme commany of the American army
of occupation and assumed the title
of military governor of Vera Cruz.
The transfer of shore duty from the
ibluejackets and marines to the COM
bined forces of marines and soldiers
took place today, the infantrymen TAX
dng up the task of policing the city
and upholding the authority of the
civil government appointed by Admiral
Fletcher.
The sailors were returned to the
american warships. taking their light
artillery and machine guns with them.
General Funston announced that he
would follow the plans of Admiral
Fletcher.
Throw Up Ent ,;nchments.
Marines and soldiers are cooperating
in guarding the western outskirts of the
city. Side by side the khaki-clad men
of the sea, soldiers and sailors too, as
Kipling called them-and the khaki
clad men of the land are extending
trenches and piling up barricades Of
.eand-filled bags on the northwestern
and southwestern limits to prevent
any surprise attack. Entertainments
are also being thrown up along the
railroad tracks to prevent the federals
from trying to run by with armored
troop trains.
Elaborate ceremonies were arrang-
ed to make the turning over of the
control of the city by Admiral Fletch-
er's forces to those of General Funs-
ton. These included an exchange of
courtesies between representatives of
the army and navy forces in the pres
ence of the staffs of Admiral Fletcher
and General Funston and salute.
Bands Play.
Orders we're given for three lines
of soldiers, bluejackets and marines
to be drawn up along the wharf, and
marine and regimental bands were
early on the scene playing a program
of music.
For purposes of defense and admin
istration the city has been divided into
three sections by the naval and mill
tary authorities. The marines are to
occupy and defend the northern part ;
the Fourth infantry will have charge
OF the center, and the Seventh infantry
will guard the southern and south
western part. The Twenty-eighth and
Nineteenth regiments will watch the
harbor front and act as a reserve
force.
Patrol Duty Arduous.
When the soldiers and marines took
up their posts today they saw that
even if there was no fighting, their
Job was not going to be snap. The
plains which stretch between the city
and the barren hills of sand on which
nothing grows but cactus.
At dawn a fog which speaks of ma
1aria and ague, covers the sand. In
the daytime the tropical sun heats it
until it burns. 1t is not hard, firm
sand, but is loose and shifts, and
when one walks in it he sinks over
his shoetops. OF course, there is no
fresh water to be had on a desert
waste, SO drinking water and water for
bathing purposes must be carried by
hand to the outposts.
Establish Sanitary Rules.
The sanitary corps has established
rigid rules to keep up the good health
of the Fifth brigade, for it has just
come from one of the most salubrious
posts in the United States. Mexicans
for the first time in their lives have
been stopped from throwing their gar
bage into the cutters, and with looks
of wonder upon their faces are ask
ing why.
The American troops have behaved
admirably in every way. Only two
cases of intoxication have been re-
ported The soldiers have acted with
the greatest consideration toward Mex
ican non-combatants. During the heat
of the fighting the strict punctilio of
.disipline was slightly overlooked, and
some Of the machine gun operators in
the thick of bullets calmly smoked big
black cigars while they worked the
levers which rained lead against the
Mexican barricades.