The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-05-06
The City Of Vera Cruz
AS it Looks Today
Old Mexican Town aader Control Of United States
TrooZ Described BY shep-
80 herd.
[By VIM. q. She 4. United Pres
STAFF Cor. londent.l

= = ~
[By VIM. q. She 4, United Press
stan Cor. oondent.l
VERA CRUZ, Mexico. April 2S. (by
mail to New York)-The first thing
you sec in Vera Cruz these days Is
the American flag, flying over the
Terminal hotel and you find the wide
corridors filled with hurrying officers
and jackies. The first thing that
catches your attention, however, will
probably be Captain H. o. McHuse.
You can't miss him. You'll know him
by his roar, his mustache, his Hash
ing eye. and his supreme contempt
for civilians-he being sort of q door
tender for Admiral Fletcher, who -
mild beyond words-he stands around
roaring to folks who come to the ad-
miral's headquarters 20 sit down.
come here, you," stay out OF this
ROOM
Admiral Fletcher keeps his door
closed, they say, in order to shut out
Huse's roarings. Mothers with babies
fee. You try to tell any Mexican IN
Vera Cruz that the navy is :he servant
of the American people and that the
taxes OF the people keep the navy 60
ing and you'll be laughed at.
They've learned otherwise from the
majestic bellowings of the mustached
Huse. But there are other sights in
Vera Cruz and having paid your re-
spects to headquarters and been roar
ed at by Huse you sally forth into the
town.
First you cross the ten acre Held
which lies between the American con-
sulate and the water FROM. ACROSS
this field fed the Madero family, and
later, Felix Diaz, from the wrath OF
Huerta. The other day In the fighting,
t became a battlefield. baptized with
blood; dead men have lain on 1t. But
now there are the brown tents OF In
fantry on it and the pastured horses
OF officers. In one corner OF the lot,
soldiers are tossing baseball. In
the streets that skirt the field. the
hagss OF fyes different nations hoat
over two story business houses, 40 X
to ray: .This isn't Mexican house;
don't shoot at It." In an entry way as
you walk along the street, you see
two playful jackies boxing. sinking
their bare fists into each others ribs
with many grunts and zoos" and
around them stand ring OF wonder
ing Mexicans, who can't understand
what fun there is In such play. There
are other things you can see as you
walk along the streets. Groups OF
jackies and marines reading a no.ice
pasted on the wall OF the cable ONCE;
you discover that it's cabled report
of the baseball games OF the day in
far away American cities. Baseball
follows the flag.
A street car loaded with unshaved,
begrimed American soldiers. They've
been out on the advance line in the
sand hills and they're on .hefr way to
the beach. where they'll stack their
rifles within easy reach, strip down
to their underdrawsrs and plunge In
to the cool surf with yells Of delight.
A man in a gray hat Is sitting by
the table before cafe, writing. Be-
hold Richard Harding Davis. At an
other table sits group OF men drink
ing beer. Look them over. There is
Jack London himself. There are 9TH
er correspondents, American and Eng
lish in the crowd Some Of them are
telling about their experiences in the
Balkan war. The point OF their talk
is that war correspondents weren't
given chance to get news in tina.
war and they hope that they'll be CIV
en- a fair shake this time. Most OF
them are very discontented because
they arrived in Vera Cruz three days
after the battle, too late for any war
corresponding.
Here you are at the plaza. Every
Mexican city-or town. has IN its
very center. square park criss.cross-
ed by gravel walks and centered by a
band stand which is called the plaza.
Here in the late afternoon and early
evening the Mexicans gather to listen
to the town band. 1t Is the custom
for the senoritas, accompanied by
their chaperones, to walk in one d.
rection about the park and for the
lads to walk in The other and to hirt,
with their eyes, as they pass. They're
doing it now. You find the plaza full
o: Mexicans. The band Is playing.
It's a band from the Florida. The
tune is one Of the latest hits in New
York. The Mexican senoritas like 1t.
They can fiirt to the tune of TITS Ap-
PIE Blossom Time in Normandy" as