Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1914-05-09
STREETS DESERTED
WHEN TAPS SOUND
Heavy Bass Voice Of Admir-
ais Orderly Puts Fear Into
Mexican Hearts
By william G. Shepherd.

vera Cruz, Mex, April 2S.-(By mail
to New York )-The first thing you see
in Vera Cruz these days is the Ameri-
can flag, flying over the Terminal
hotel, and you find the wide corridors
filled with hurrying officers and
jackies.
The next thing you will notice will
be Captain II. o. Mel Huse. You II
know him by his roar, his mustache,
his flashing eye and his supreme con-
tempt for civilians. He is being a kind
of doortender for Admiral Fletcher
who is mild beyond wOrds-and in this
capacity he stands around roaring to
people who come into admiral S head
quarters to 'sit down. "come here,
you" and "stay out of this room. ="
Admiral Fletcher keeps his door shut,
they say, to keep out House s roarings.
Mothers with babies flee. You try co
tell any Mexican in Vera Cruz that
the navy is the servant of the Ameri-
can common people and you'll be
laughed at. They have learned other
wise from the majestic bellowings of
the mustacheu Huse.
Having paid your respects at head
quarters and been roared at by Huse
you sally forth to see the town.
Field Becomes Famous.
First you cross the ten acre field be-
tween the United States consulate and
the waterfront. Across this field fled
the Madero family and later Felix
Diaz from the wrath of Huerta. In
the fight the other day it became a
battlefield. Dead men have lain on it.
Now it is covered by brown tents and
the pastured horses of officers.
In the streets that skirt the field
the flags of five different nations
float above the not-over-two story
business houses as if to say "this
isn't Mexican house; don't shoot at
it."
In an entryway you see two playful
jackies boxing, sinking their fists into
one anothers ribs with many grunts
and oofs. Around them stands group
of wondering Mexicsns who can t un.
derstand such rough play.
Next you come to a little crowd OF
iackies and marines reading a notice
on the cable office wall--a cabled re-
port of the days baseball games in the
big American cities.
A man in gray felt hat sits at a
table before cafe, writing. Behold
Richard Harding Davis? AT another
table is group of men drinking beer
The one with stein is Jack London
himself. The others are also cor
respondents. They are relating thai
they weren t given chance to gel
news in the Balkan war and they hop,
they'll be given fair shake this time
Flirt to "Gingo'' Music.
Here we are at the plaza. Here il
the late afternoon and early evening
the Mexicans gather to listen to tn,
band. 1t is the custom for the sen
oritas, accompanied by their chaper
ones, to walk in one direction abou
the park, flirting with their eyes a
they pass. They re doing it now.
Also there is band playing. 1t i
from the Florida. The tune is one o
the late hits in New York. The sen
oritas can flirt to it just as well a
they can to Mexican music.
Sit down at a cafe table. In tn
cathedral spire across the park sits
jackie among the bells, his feet dang
ling in space. Jaekies have been o
guard there ever since the battle, whe
, they toppled six Mexican sharpshooter
out of the spire.
On the top of another building is
marine with a flag in each hand, wig
! wagging TO the ships in the harbor.
! On another side Of the plaza sixt
/. marines stand patiently at attentio
, while famous war artist sketche
l. them. A group of civilians surround
his easel. From time to time we yell
"get out of the wayl" or "give m
e elbow rooml"
! There's a quarrel at neighborin
7 table. Two shoe shine boys hGve bee
a polishing the shoes and leggings of
!, couple of infantrymen and want 5
= eentavos apiece. The infantryme
| think this extortionate. The Amer
cans may have conquered Vera Cru
r but they can't conquer its shoe shin
boys, so finally the infantrymen pa
9 up and leave, calling the boys "greai
r er robbers'
a Aeroplane Unnoticed.
An army aeroplane circles over tn
!. town but the people have become 4
T used TO it that few even glance upwarI
n By this time evening is falling.
cool breeze blows in from the gul