The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1914-05-09
REFUGEES TELL
STORY OF FLIGHT
Bitter Against Administration
for Moving Warships
from Tampico.
APPEAL TO SENATORS
Representatives of Those Taken from
Tampico Present Statement to the
Foreign Relations Committee.

Senator Stone. chairman of the Foreign
Relations Committee, yesterday mace
public the text of formal complaint
filed with the committee by refugees
from Tampico, who were brought TO Cal
weston on the Connecticut. The protest
was prepared and signed by them at
Galveston and a committee Of five ar
rived in Washington Thursday to lay the
matter before the Foreign Relations Com
mittee. This committee is composed of
Americans. who complain that Americans
in Tampico were obliged to rely on Ger
man and English warships to take them
away. This is the committee that Thurs
day protested 10 Secretary of the Navy
Daniels.
Last night the committee issued this
statement explaining its presence In
Washington
Kept In the Dark.
THE American refugees recently landed
at Galveston have been and are. so totally
in the dark touching the late action OF
the United States government In with
drawing the protection hitherto accorded
the Americans in Mexico that they wish
IL possible to get in touch with the
powers that be. They selected a dele
cation to come to Washington in their
behalf This delegation comprises all
those who could arrange to come here.
It is headed by a committee authorized
to speak for those who could not come
themselves The committee consists of
W. f. Lucas, W. NJ. Hanson, L. NJ.
Fouts. jr., DR.. w. NJ Turner. and ].
B. Wood
I'VE have lived in Mexico for periods
ranging from fourteen to twenty-five
years. and are thoroughly conversant
with the situation. We are assisted by
other members of the delegation, Ameri-
cans whose residence in Tampico Is OF
shorter duration, but who are quite as
conversant with recent happenings, and
who include Messrs. A. r. Bushnell, II.
W. Dixon, Hugh G. Curran, A. H.
Gibson, w. H. Zahnizer. Col Timothy
Spellacy, Thomas A. O'DonneIl, S. B.
Cochran. and George Davidson"
Here Is the delegations formal protest
TO the Senate Committee:
To Honorable Chairman, Committee on
Foreign Relations
Feeling that the American public is
not ccg1izant of tire true situation ex-
isting' in Tampico and the district tribu-
tary to il, we desire TO place before them
recital of the actual facts, subscrib-
ing ourf names to same as evidence OF
the truth of this statement
I'm December last, the rebels attacked
Tampico. and women and children and |
some men were taken aboard the bat
tleships, and We returned as soon as i
the danger was over. During the last |
attack in the present month. the same |
rule was observed. and the women. chit |
dren. and some men were taken aboard |
the battieships and returned to their
homes when II was considered that there |
was no further danger.
On the morning OF April q. Consul
Miller received advices that tine gunboat is
Of Admiral Mayo's command had been
ordered out of the port of Tampico by the
American government and were TO leave
within one hour. No intimation was /
given to the American residents of any
danger whatsoever. While we considered
the leaving of the gunboats at that time
rather extraordinary, due to the fact
that we had always had some gunboat
in the harbor for some months, still no
uneasiness was felt. In the afternoon
rumors became insistent upon the streets
that The American forces were landing
in Vera Cruz. About 2:3J in the after
noon an official bulletin was posted at
the Municipal Palace advising the Mex
cans that the American forces had
anded at Vera Cruz and appealing to
them TO take up arms and defend their
Mobs Form in Streets.
AS Consul Miller had not received any
Dfflcial advice, the Americans still be-
ieved the report from Vera Cruz to be {
Nevertheless they realized
he gravity of the situation. Volunteers I
we're assembling: arms and ammunition '
we're being distributed by the Mexican ]
authorities, and armed Mexicans were '
unning in every direction in the city. {
Word was sent to Americans to assemble !
t central places. No time had been
iven for any preparations. The MeXi-
an authorities were constantly search
ng every place owned by Americans
or arms and ammunition and the few
rms left in the possession of Americans
we're only those that had not been found.
After dark manifestations were made r
n the shape Of street parades. prin- a
ipally composed of the rabble and r
'oung men yelling viva Huerta and v
cath to the gringoes. AS they pro- s
eeded the numbers increased Stones Z
fere thrown. bricks striking two Ameri- Z
ans at the Southern Hotel. The CAP c
ain of the German war vessel advised v
zen. Zaragoza, commander of the port,
hat the mob must be dispersed And
he mob was dispersed Immediately. Two
ours later another mob appeared. filling
9th streets in front of the Southern A
Totel having been melted nv incendiary m