The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-07-23
MEN AT VERA CRUZ FROM WHOLE WORLD
Members of Huerta's Terror Stricken Cabinet Fled to
 Europe From This Port

Vera Cruz, Mex, July 1s.-(special Cor ] respondence )--one of the most interest ing characters I have met since my de- parture from Birmingham is marine attached to one of the companies here who has travelled widely. and has the happy faculty of keeping his eyes open He gave me an account of how things went in Algeria and related incidents of work performed by women that we would not think of having them do here He said that the ship that he was on had a portion of its coal put where the sailors could reach 1t to coal ship by women. He was given shore leave and went to Ephesus where he visited the old ruins of the "Temple of Diana, and went down in the Cave of the Winds. By a strange coincidence the same Dutch ship, the ''Kortaener," and her crew of marines were there and they are here. This crew was kept aboard ship for eight long months without shore leave These marines seem to be picked men, or at | least they are well informed, likely due | to the wide opportunity for travel, and this young fellow was unusually so. Even though republican in politics he ex- pressed himself as heartily in sympathy with the methods the President is pur- suing in the Mexican tangle.
 Of all the terror stricken mountains of | flesh that l ever saw I think that a minister of Mexico one Moheno by name, takes the cake. He got frightened over the approach of Villa and fled to port, where he could take passage on ship | to foreign shore. When the ship reached here a large crowd congregated on the dock to jeer him, and it was while 1 this was going on that I had to go aboard | the ship to see about my duties. I saw AL Ill .i<xt.x xvrlk
 messed. The American soldiers on the | dock kept the crowd orderly and Gen. | eral Funston suppressed some incendiary | circulars gotten out by a paper here, | so that there could come no harm to | him. The next day this great cobarde l (coward) came out in lengthy state- ment in the papers that the reason he did not come ashore was because he could not bear the sight of American soldiers on Mexican soil. He was just about such a specimen as Irrutia that I saw put aboard the Hancock when he was car ried to Galveston.
 I saw Minister of Finance de La Lama as he came in on the train the other day and took passage for France. When his train came to stop strong guard of American soldiers was drawn up so that nothing could harm him and he was hustled aboard the ship that was to take him to healthier climes. He had the good grace 10 say nOtnlns asalnSt the soldiers that gave him protection.
 l witnessed novel sight this week when I saw the chief engineer of one of the ships whose enlistment had ex- pired get ready to leave the ship to take a launch for the Mars on which he was to be carried home. When the hour
 came for him to get aboard all the men
 of his ship were lined ID at the rail
 and gave three cheers for him as he
 walked down the gangway. As the launch
 showed off the band began to play "Auld
 Lang Syne." the sailors joined and as
 the music came over the waves to me
 as was aboard the Mars it seemed
 unduly sweet and I wondered if the sailor would return to his ship after a visit to home and loved ones.
 We have a great navy it has some fine customs, but of all 1t appears to me nothing can equal it's fond but heart felt good-bys. BILL SYKES.