The menace. [volume] (Aurora, Mo.) 1911-1920, 1914-08-15
VILLA BELIEVES In DEMOCRACY AND REAL RELIGION
10 Provide For Religious Needs the Mexican People He Establishes State Church
Divorced From Rome-Praeiea Love For Freedom and Respect For
Genuine Religion Consistent With Hatred For PrOiesed
Authority and Religion For Revenue Only

villas language and is On terms Of
near intimacy with the great rebel
leader. writes a. follows IN the
New York American Of July 10:
"vul, ~ prvoElTio"
"vina is democratic. Coutrolling a.
BE- does al the railroads in eonstitu'
tionalir territory, he could have had q
palace car for his own use did he desire
H.
"Ths men Who 40 the fighting ride
on the roofs OF box cars / would do
the ame,' be said. "did not need
space for my secretaries and a cover
20 protect my papers from the elements
This old cah0ose suits me-"
We walked along the shady aide of
the train until We eamo upon three
"soldAreras,' a Spanish term for sol
dier women, who were having a wordy
argument over the ownership Of a solcd,
battered umbrella.
"what Is the troublei" asked Villa.
The youngest, a ANAL, half naked
girl, turned up a saucy brown face.
"This - Of a woman stole my
psrssol"
''I did not. It's minei" The second
girl was equally indignant and even
more profane. "she threw a knife At
me. "
"You lie, you =" (Another un'
precedented how Of profanity "I'm
going 20 tell Villa you re q thief.
Villa kills thieves. - The general
grinned and winked at me. "I am Fran.
isco Villa. scnoras, AZ your service"
II he had said that he were the devil
the effect could not have been more
electrical.
The girl who had thrown the knife
screamed and shot under the nearest
boz ear. The one who held the precious
parasol threw IL from her, and, scream.
ing "The Lord bless usi The Lord
bless usln - scrambled aboard a slowly
moving locomotive, followed by the third,
Who up 90 this time had taken no part
in tho controversy.
Villa burst out laughing
"They certainly do fear you, Gen
era" /" said, watching the women as
they climbed like monkeys 10 the top
Of the coal laden tender
"Si." lie nodded his big head. "If
they weren't afraid Of me they would
not obey orders. They are a savage
lot all right, and ono Of the things We
are fighting for Is to see that the chill.
I dren Of these women and others such
as they have an opportunity 10 60 tC
school and become better citizens thar
they are.'
NOT HYPoCRlrE
He fell into a reycrie. ~ don Z be
lieve in hypocrisy be said. " m
called many names. Many of then
would not look well in print. Among
the most popular Of the epithets applied
to me is that bandit Villa. II / have
been a bandit il was because eircum
stances forced me to be one. Will,
quite young, only boy in fact, KILLED
man who had mistreated my sister.
took TO the mountains 10 escape the brig
ands whom Porfrio Diaz dignifed b,
the name Of 'gendarmerie.
"Was l TO staryei Whenever
found work on ranch or in a mine il
would not be long before some frienC
would say: BE awake Paneho, tn,
rurales will be here tonight
"Whole troops were sent out aftei
me, but many laugh l have had be
cause Of their bungling. Pursuing m,
across the mountains they frequently
would pass so near my hiding place
could have touched them with my hanI
as they passed.
Here he lowered his head, glowerinl
at me, but his laugh was mirthful. 9Th,
vigilance Of the Mexican police in tbei
pursuit of mo and others like me wa
enough to make a dog laugh.
eve were poor. The real criminals
however, the great land and cattle bar
ons who grazed their cattle on land
stolen from the people who should hav,
farmed them and been happy, were un
molested in chihuahua, living in thei
fine houses, eating rich food and drink
ing expensive wines, while we slavet
for them, content if we had a handfu
of beans or little corn, with an occa
sional piece Of meat
However, on the long, lone trail
during my wanderings would consol
myself by saying: Never mind, Pan
eho, some day you'll fight them an,
win l never thought, though, il woul,
come like this lie swept his ham
proudly in the direction of his trooI
trains.
"To think that I have been the down
fall Of their great private government
Ny men are now living in their palaces
They are refugees in your country, hv
ing in rented cottages"
A grunt, q deep, bear-like growl, ties
tilted to his satisfaction over this iron
ieal turn Of fate
Villa is very democratic. While h
commands the greatest respect from hi
men, he does 90 without demanding Il
On that walk up and down the lonI
lines Of trains he was greeted perhap
thousand times and perhaps a. man,
times "saluted," but there was no for
mality about either.
He responded as warmly a. he wa
greeted, and, strange TO say, he eoul,
nearly always call the soldier VIII
greeted him by his given name and in
vsriably made some inquiry after tn
man Q welfare or that Of his father o
some other member Of his family bacI
in the little Chihuahua village whene
he came.
This trait perhaps is one Of the sc
crets Of Villas wonderful popularit
with his men.
As waIked hack IN the corresnopd