The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-04-07
AMERICAN VIEW
Former Kansan Writes Facts
About Mexico.
Financial Situation Is the
Worst of All.
THE GOVERNMENT IS WEAK
Hasn't Paid Its Bill for
Months.
It Paid Its Bill
Months.
Both Sides Destroy Property
With WantOn Hands.

q. W. Snyder, cashier Of the Topeka
State bank. has received q letter from
a former Kansan who Is now a busl-
ness man in Mexico City, that gives a
lucid description of business affairs in
that country. The financial situation
down there is worse than the other sit
uations, if such thing were possible
Both sides have been destroying prop
erty for months. Nothing IS stable; ;
nothing is certain. The government is
bankrupt and weak The rebels are
erratic as straws in the wind. The let
ter in part follows:
Conditions IndeScribable.
1.-The conditions here in Mexico are
almost indescribable in one short let
ter Outside Of Mexico City and a few
of the larger cities the opponents of
Huerta are almost in complete control.
Huerta claims to have an army OF over
200 900 men. but this is only figures that
do not mean anything, unless it indf-
Gates the number OF poor defenseless
people who have been pressed into the
service against their will and who de-
sert at the first opportunity.
The newspapers of the capital are
Of course under control Of the govern
ment and they can only publish such
items as are given out in the war de-
partment. They do lot acknowledge
defeat until many days after it occurs
and then they do not tell the facts.
The postoffice has been holding all
papers inc OHItcu 0tdtcS AOA AAaAy
weeks now and 1t is only rarely they
let one pass them. So you see we are
very much in ignorance as to what is
going on in the states.
Financial situation Worst Of All.
The financial situation here is what
Is killing all of us. The government
has decreed that all state bank bills
shall be accepted as legal tender. They
have not only done this but they have
issued new bills on banks that have
been in the hands of the rebels for
many months and have been closed for
many months. For instance. 1 had
some 500 bills today issued by the
Banco Minero de Chihuahua that were
dated February q, 1914. The govern
ment was so hard pressed for money
that they proposed to issue their own
money. They made a demand on the
banks but they refused to give up. The
exchange rates increased SO in one day
exchange was four to one. Today 1t
il 1925 pesos for one United States
money.
Government Doesn't Pay It's Bills.
The government has not paid its
bills for many months and things are
looking very badly. Business houses
are failing and discharging their clerks.
AS much as three-fOurths OF the rail-
roads are under EMBRACE and they can
only run trains when they have a mil
itary escort to protect them. Even with
this precaution the trains are dyna-
mited and 1t is most dangerous to trav-
ell.
The amount of rolling stock and other
property belonging to the railroad COM
pany is beyond estimation. Just few,
days ago they destroyed eleven engines
and over three hundred cars. The reb
els have done this same thing on sew
eral occasions.
THE fuel supply is very short for
the railroad companies and also for all
fusers and the price has gone up three
times the former price.
The government does not have the
moral support of any number of people
outside of those directly benf1ted by
they wish for Intervention. They seem
to want it and claim it is their only
salvation"