Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1914-05-21
Of MEXICO
PLACE OF TERROR
MedilI Mccormick Tells PeriIs
Met in Huerta's Capital.
AMERICANS KEPT IN PRISON
Correspondents Are Arrested and In
suIted--Trade ls at a standstlli
and All Feel DIctator's Gov
eminent 10 Doomed.
BY MEDILL MCCORMICK,
Special Correspondent In Mexico Of
the CHICAGO Daily News.

BY MEDiLL MCCORMICK,
Special Correspondent In Mexico Of
the Chicago Daily News.
Vera Cruz, Mexico. May 12.-Ameri-
cans are In prison In Mexico City,
held incommunicado in places un-
known to the Brazilian legation. / do
not know how many are so held by
the police. When l left Mexico City
on a French special train for Puerto
Mexico, Walter Whiffen of the Assoc
ciated Press vas under arrest for the
second time within "a hours. MI.
Doster of the International News serv-
ice was in jail, and so was Mr.. Sutton
Of the Washington Post. An American
named Schiller and a locomotive engi-
neer who had returned from Cuba
looking for his family were also In
prison.
Luis d'Antin, Interpreter for the
American embassy, dares not leave the
precincts Of the Brazilian legation,
while his wife is afraid to leave the
house In which she is hiding. The
Mexicans would have taken d'Antin,
but for the Intervention of the repre-
sentatives Of Argentina, Brazil and
Chile, the mediating powers.
Americans Are Not Safe.
The City of Mexico is inarticulate,
dazed, afraid. Americans are not safe
there and they ought to leave. Other
foreigners are alarmed. Mexicans do
not speak aloud the names Of con
spicuous men or of strategically i'm
portant places. There are Mexican
spies everywhere and everywhere they
are looking for American spies. The
Mexican authorities hold that war ex-
lists, but that there is an armistice by
virtue of the mediation of the ABB
c." powers. Yet no American is per-
mitted to send a cable message or
telegram. I had to get a foreign friend
to inform my family and the Daily
News Of my release a second time
and he doubted whether the message
had passed the censor.
Press messages by correspondents
who are not Americans are censored
80 that they are ~valueless. Although
Americans are not safe and are for
hidden to cable home, they cannot 60
to the British or German legation for
protection. There may be reasons of
high diplomacy why Brazil should
represent our interests In Mexico, but
it Is a fact that although he does his
best, Senior Cardoso de Oliviera is
unable sufficiently to protect our fell
low citizens in Mexico City If there
De rioting. Even II there is none ]
am afraid we shall be sorry that the
care Of American interests was taken
out Of the hands OF Sir Lionel Garden,
the British minister.
Suspicion and Menace In Air.
When Richard Harding Davis and I
reached Mexico City after our trip
from Vera Cruz we went about looking
for lodging and food. Suspicion and
menace were in the air. Rurales and
police with firearms patrolled the
streets, which by day were almost as
bare of life as by night. Every auto
mobile bore the flag of its owner.
Many flags hung from the windows for
the protection Of the houses and gave
the city a sardonic look, like that OF
a horrid old woman dying with a
painted face and decked with finery.
Saturday morning l set about my
mission to see certain well-informed
foreigners and Mexicans, to bring out
Of the city the news Of conditions
which the censor refuses to pass and
which, indeed, 1t would be dangerous
for a resident to go about collecting.
I saw important members of the
French, German and English colonies,
as well as Americans. l have reason
to believe that no correspondent for
weeks has been able to receive such
important expressions Of opinion.
Huerta Government Doomed.
The Huerta government cannot ad.
vance against General Villa, starved
as 1t Is for revenue and ammunition,
and presently it must fall. How long
1t can resist Villas advance is problem
atical. There is now talk Of General
Huerta's overthrow by local revolution
and Of his assassination. / saw him
out automobiling. Many people think
that he wishes to provoke Intervention
and that he sent General Navarett to-
ward Vera Cruz for that purpose.
Trade Is at a standstill. No freight
is moving on the railroads and oil fuel
La becoming SO scarce that the number
Of passenger trains has been radically
reduced. Control of the Mexican rail
way has been taken by the govern.
ment from its English owners. Peo-
pie fear a sacking of the city by the
victorious Villa forces or its looting
by the mob If General Huerta is killed
or overthrow by a local revolution.
They Advocate Intervention.
Thus 1t happens that some Mexicans
and nearly all foreigners now advo-
cate intervention. Everywhere, r asked
two questions:
Lfrst-"If General Huerta resign and
the Carranzistas consent to a compro-
hise, are there enough elements out
OF which a reasonably representative
government can be constituted?'
Yes" was the answer most frequent.
" given, IF they and the mediating