Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-04-24
MEXICO and THE MEXICANS.
A Country In Which Anarchy Holds
Full Sway.
GOOD Fighters, LITTLE TO fight FOR
Correspondent Of the London Times
Who Has Made Extensive lnvestisa-
tions Says the People Of the United
States Have But Little Idea of Con-
ditions to the South as They Really
hna

Among the army Of correspondents
who have been studying and writing
about Mexico in the last year H. Ham
ilton Fyfe Is conspicuous. He went
went. there as special correspondent
Of the London Times and has embodied
the result Of his observations in book
entitled "The Real Mexico" which is to
be issued this week by Mcbride, Mast
& Co.
Along the border says Mr.. Fyfe, 1
had begun to understand how much
loss and suffering have been caused to
subjects of the United States. The
fact that some $4,000 Mexicans have
been killed concerns Mexico alone. So
long as the poems can count upon four
shillings a day for being soldiers in
stead Of one shilling day, or less, for
being laborers, with frequent opportu-
mites Of loot thrown in, they will fight
willingly for either side and run the
risk Of getting killed. II they lived on
barren island all by themselves they
might go on fighting until they were
all exterminated and no one would
greatly care. But when one learns that
200 Americans have been killed, not to
mention the enormous losses suffered,
one is driven to ask with Mr.. Roosevelt
whether it is not the duty Of govern
ment to protect it's subjects.
In New York, in the eastern states
generally. in the middle west, they
know next to nothing about events in
Mexico. The channels through which
news flows are untrustworthy, not so
much because Of the yellow tendency
to exaggerate, which causes newspapers
in the United States to be read with
cynical skepticism as on account Of
two forces that are operating against
any full unprecedented statement Of the
truth.
Lost people in the United States are
therefore densely ignorant about Mexi-
co, although 1t lies next door to them.
They are fatty opposed to "interven-
tion," If it means losing lives and
spending money. They say: If Amer
leans go to these barbarous lands they
must take their chance" II they have
any view Of the political situation at
all it is that President Huerta is bad
man" and that a pious country Qike
the United States) ought not to en-
courage him; or that the best plan
this have heard hundreds say-would
be to let each side buy arms and am
munition freely (from the United
States) and fight it out. But in Texas
in New Mexico. in Arizona, especially
in the southern parts, which lie next
to Mexico, feeling against President
Wilson and Secretary Bryan is bitter
and contemptuous.
1 travelled one day with an official
Of the United States immigration de-
partment. In the course Of duty he had
to go over from El Paso to Juarez to
make inquiries about a colored man
who had committed some offense in
the United States. This man had in the
meantime joined the Mexican army and
been made a lieutenant. He had the
immigration agent arrested by four
soldiers without any warrant on a
charge Of being about to attempt to
kidnap him." The soldiers marched the
agent off toward the hills: being con-
vinced that they would shoot him II
they got him there, he ran away. They
fired and shot him through the stom-
ach. He managed to get to the civil
police, but even there he lay for twen-
ty-four hours without proper treat
ment, and his release was only secured
by the resolute action Of another i'm
migration officer.
The Mexico North western railway
in Chihuahua has been at a standstill
since June, 1913, after suffering losses
for two yeaIs before that. It's 500 miles
Of track are in a part Of the country
where fighting has been pretty we'll
continuous. Both sides have damaged
It, Mr. Crockett, the general manager,
told me that up to the beginning Of
October, $50 bridges had been rebuilt
or repaired; at that time seventy-eigh.
were still down. This railway links up
a series of mines and lumber properties
belonging to the S. F. Pearson interest
(Which has nothing to do with Lord
Cowdray's firm). The mines are most
ly idle. The railway doing nothing;
miles Of it's track are torn up; its roll
ing stock is scattered all over the
country. The loss is roughly calcu-
lated at half a million sterling, and the
end is not yet While was in Ell Paso
the governor Of Chihuahua was urging
Mr. Crockett to run trains over a GER
tain part of the line, assuring him that
the line was clear Of rebels. At the
same time the rebels threatened to de-
stroy more bridges If any train should
start!
The Southern Pacific Of Mexico has
also lost the greater part Of it's traffic.
For a long time it has been running at
a loss, and to repair the damage done
would cost, so Col. Randolph, the pres
ident, estimates, 6 100000. Between the
two parties the position Of any busi-
ness is difficult and dangerous; that Of
a railway in the heart Of the rebel
country is desperate indeed.
AS l walked in the streets Of Monte
rey and saw the dead lie stark and
pitiful after the fight, the same thought
came to me which had been provoked
in rebel camps, among men Of refine
ment and education who have given up
their usual occupations for the savage
joy of civil war: What waste! What
a meaningless folly!"
To give ones life for ones country in
a good cause is the best end that can
befall.
For how can man die better
Than facing fearful odds;
For the ashes Of his fathers
And the temples Of his gods?"
Wars there will be so long as there
are wrongs, real or imaginary, to be
righted so long as some people have
what other people want. Also, while
men have red blood in them, enough
will be found ready to die in war; and
the world will rightly honor them say
ing they died we'll. But this civil war
in Mexico is so futile. There are no