The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-02-01
REFUGEES LEAD EASY
LIFE AT j. s. EXPENSE
More Than 5000 Mexicans
From Ojinaga Now in Camp
at Fort Bliss.
TROOPS HAVE HARD TASK
Hucrta's Soldiers and Their
Families Cost Government
$4,000 a Day.
TROOPS HAVE HARD TASK

Ell PAso. Jan. si.--Uncle Sam repre-
scented by Gen. Hugh l.. Scott and his
cavalary division. has az last succeeded
in getting 'he more than 5000 refugee
Mexican soldiers. their wives. children.
dogs goats. burros and personal parasites
behind ten foot barbed wire trochas at
Fort Bliss, and the American officers and
soldiers are looking forward rcsisnedly
TO most trying experience.
They had a few hundred Mexican
soldiers with them las, summer and they
nearly drove the for, into nervous pros
tration. What twenty times that num-
Der will do they hate to think about. Al
ready there have been numerous courts
OF private inquiry, many quarrcls TO set
tie, many disputes 10 arbitrate, hundreds
Of complaints to listen 20 and about 5000
daily orations on what would have hap
pened. what should have happened and
what will happen come day
As matter %! fact the United States
is not going 10 have very much trouble
with about 5000 OF its wards at Fort
Bliss. That is. 1t will be no more trouble
than the keeper OF public institution,
has with delinquent children. Give the
Mexican peon his fritoles. tortillas lit
tie meat now and then. some coffee. a
warm bed and very little work and he
Will stand an awful lot of punishment
IL will be otherwise with the other
1000, the officers. regular and volunteer
and the regular soldier. to say nothing
OF the ex-banditti. who have been Twins
on loot for several pears They are
trouble makers and they will have to be
watched. Great care il being taken now
ddays 10 prevent visitors from smugs n :
teQuil.a through the baroed wires FIJI
up the nalcontents with alcohol and there
: likely to he riot any rTsgnt, among
themselves OF course.
IL is costing the United States a lit
lie more than s2.5o0 a DAY to feed. cIu,he
and guard the refugees. OF course that
Will all be paid back some day when
Mexico quiets down lun2 enough to cast
up her accounts and find ou' that sne
owes the world the ransom Of a nation
/; will draw interest. however for some
time yet, the border believes In the
meantime tho soldiers stand guard and
the cummissary tries to commute army
ra,!ons into Mexican terms
The city Of refugees. housing nearly
1000 Mexicans j. being conducted on
STREET military principles Regular army
tents are being used to house them I'm
inside the camp a visitor would imagine
that he had been transported to Mexico
were II not FOR the army tents ana for
the occasional presence of an American
soldier. They are furnished az nearly as
possible with their native food and per
mittea TO cook II themselves. and near
each tent one sees the tiny campfire
around which is gathered the family. The
women are making tortillas and cooking
friJo!rs ana brolling meat over the Goals
while the men folks are lounging arounI
smoking cigarettes From many parts of
the camp there comes the tinklc Of inc
guitar and voices raised in song Every
where there are the children PLAYING and
no one seems 10 have. a thought OF war
or It's devastation. Forty-onc babies nav.
already been born I'm camp
Only among the officers will one find
any trace OF gloom. for theirs are the
shoulders to bear the blame and disgrace
or ordering this army OF the north. the
mainstaN OF President Hucrtp, 70 cross
into the United States and seek an ASYLUM
IN friendly country. They are the ones
rAo have lost most heavily, for the most
OF them are property holders, and all Of
their holdings have been coniscated by
the rebels who now hold the north