Imperial Valley press., 1914-05-06
HOW HUERTA PREPARED
TO DEFEND HIMSELF


leans fight?
The ease with which the marines
landed in Vera Cruz has led many
Americans to conclude that the march
to the City of Mexico would be
simple matter, more or less of a par
ade. But the heads of the Army and
Navy here are suffering under no
such delusion. 1t is generally and
quite correctly taken for granted that
the United States will win in the
end, but victory will, only come on
vanquishing the power of the de-
ccen6ants of the proud Spanish con-
ouerors, that small fraction of the
Mexican nation which possesses al
mcst all the property of the country
which is not in the hands of for
eigners and which holds the peon class
almost in serfdom.
Huerta's principal reliance is the
cultured upper class. They don't love
Huerta, but they love Mexico. They
will fight.
Huerta's principal weakness is the
vast peon class, sunk in ignorance.
They will fight and run away to fight.
another day.
The poems possess no such national
spirit as even the lowliest American
workman. They must be impressed
into Huerta's army. They cannot be
disciplined. But they are cruel and
bloodthirsty, like their ancestors who
offered human sacrifices on stone al
tars in Montezuma's time, and they
will wage guerilla warfare long after
the principal cities are in the hands
Of the United States.
In his desperate efforts to arm him
self against the Constitutionalists and
the vaster peril which has now mater
;alized, Huerta has sent squads from
the tried troops he kept as his body
guard in the capital to impress men
of the nearby Indian villages which
cluster in the valley of Mexico.
Many photographs received here
show these press gangs at their work
actually stealing men from the
bosoms of their families. The Indians
with their enormous hats, are seen
marching in a hollow square of SOL.
diers through the streets to the bar
racks where they are driven into the
recruit office to volunteer"
When General Scott in the first Mex
lean war arrived just south of Mexico
City and fought the battle of Moline
del Rel, he found barring his further
progress an enormous barricade. San
ia Anna had had this erected by the
Indians of the neighborhood. The In
dians did not know why they had
put up the barricade. They did not
know what the quarrel between San
ia Anna and "Yanquas" was about.
All they knew was that there were
amies marching around with banners
flying and bands playing. So, it is
related, General Scott ordered these
same Indians to tear down the barri-
cades which they had just erected.
The Indians demolished their work
for General Scott with as much readi-
ness as they had put it up for Santa
Anna. The Indians of today are lit
tie changed from those of 1S47
The tremendous Importance of this
Indifferent attitude of the Indians is
seen when one notes the division of
races in Mexico as follows:
Whites, Is per cent.
Mixed (mostly part Indian) 81 per
cent.
Indians, 80 per cent.
Blacks, / per cent.
Illiteracy runs according to differ
ent accounts from Is to 95 per cent.
1t is on the Is per cent of whites
that Huerta must put his principal
reliance, although he is himself at
least half Indian. There is small
per centage of capable Indians like
Huerta and the famous patriot, Benito
Juarez. Many Indians joined the army
of Villa armed with long bows and
arrows, weapons which have been dis
carded by the aborigunes of the Unit
ed States.
But great wave of loyalty to their
beautiful country has been sweeping
the large towns, where the more in
telligent Mexicans live. At mass