Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-05-12
U. S. CITIZENS HELD
IN SECRET PRISONS
IN MEXICAN CAPITAL

Gen. Mas. I unlimbered my Spanish
They put me In a nice cell and sent for
another officer In the meantime a
lieutenant who looked like a door
keeper in a movie" show, put a sem
tinel over each of US and ostentatious-
ly loaded his gun Davis said some
thing by way of coincidence "Silencio."
said his sentinel
So we sat. cross. hot and mum-above
all, mum. Presently came "A lieutenant
who could speak French. I unlimhered
that language, too, and out we were
sent. without a guard Gen. Mas was
very civil. He did not ask Davis or me
about our nationality. but Palmers Wis
itins card would not do. He had to go
back to Vera Cruz We had no more ad-
ventures A drunken brakeman said he
was death on Americans but If We We're
English We could give him a few centa
vos for beer. At Orizab we spent com
Portable night in a hotel kept by a
F'renchman. Friday We left for Mexico
City.
1T was not until We were leaving the
railroad station for our hotel in the
capital that anything befell us. then a
young man with the manners of a hotel
| runner stopped us. We discovered that
| he was a detective. Accompanied by
| this man and half a dozen of his col
| leagues we went to the office of the in
Oakley, resident correspondent of the
London Times, to see us through. There
we found Walter Whiffen. who had been
confined for twenty-four hours without
ton also was there. Oakley vouchcd
for us and presently we We're taken to
the Brazilian legation and after an
hours parley were released upon our
agreement to leave the city within
| twenty-four hours. and to send no news
| by mail or cable during our stay there.
Furthermore. We gave our parole To
notify the police before leaving.
Suspicion and Menace Everywhere.
| We went out OF the legation into the
city to find lodging and food. Suspicion
and menace were in the air Rurales
and police with firearms patrolled the
streets. which by day were almost as
bare of life as by night Every auto
mobile bore the flag of its owner. Many
nags hung from the windows for the
protection of the houses. and gave the
city a sardonic look like that of hor-
rid old woman dying with a painted
face and decked with finery
saturday morning / set about my
| mission to see certain well informe ed
foreigners and Mexicans, to bring GU,
of the city the news of the condition.
which the censor refuses to pass and
which indee. it would be dangerous
Tor a resident to go about collecting
saw important members of the
French. German and English colonie:
| ao wen DIS americans l. nave reason
| to believe that no correspondent fol-
weeks has been able to receive suct
| important expressions of opinion.
| The Huerta government cannot ad.
vance against Gen. Villa, starved as il
Is for revenue and ammunition, and pres.
emily It must fall. How long it can re.
slst Villas advance is problematical
There Is now talk of Gen. Huertas over.
throw by local revolution and of his as
| sassination. L saw him out automo.
billing. Many people think he wants te
provoke Intervention and that he sent
Gen. Navarett toward Vera Cruz fol
that purpose.
Trade is at a standstill. No freight is
moving on the railroads, and oil fuel is
becoming SO scarce that the number OF
passenger trains has been radically re-
| duced. Control of the Mexican railway
has been taken by the government from
its English owners. People fear a sacl
of the city by the victorious Villaistas
or its footing by the mob, If Gen
Huerta be killed or overthrow by Z
local revolution
The constitutionalist junta in Mexico
City and the old Mederfstas are get
ting bold. though some of them ar.
made to disappear mysteriously from
time to time Then. too. there is feal
that the people. mostly Indians. will
rise against all foreigners. Thus Il
happens that some Mexicans and nearl,
all foreigners now advocate interven
ton.
Important Question Answered.