The Washington herald., 1914-05-17
Reconnoiter of Eneny's Country
Reveals Types of Huerta's Troops
Correspondent Guided by English Follower
Into Federal Military
pres Three Classes, Rurales Regulars regua-Area
yond Cruz Forms Wicked, Rugged

and bandits who have not, with few
officers who know little about warfare,
but much about looting. This last type
We feared most and. fortunately, saw
least. The rurales we ran into from time
to time in small bands of from 1--WE to
ten. They are, orsxere when law and
order was the rule. as fine a collection
OF men as would be found In the country
and even now they constitute the main
influence which has sufficient strength to
Keep Mexico from absolute anarchy.
Their personnel and esprit de corp has
been lowered greatly by the disorders Of
the last four years. They are not the
same kind OF men as Porfirio Daz or
gained throughout the country. but they
are the only force upon which victoriano
Huerta has been able to depend in pro-
tecting Americans and other foreigners
during these last three or four weeks
The so-called regular army troops are
patrolling the country which encircles
Vera Cruz, but keeping carefully out Of
range OF automatic Colt gun in the
hands Of our outposts. From what Of
hcers and noncommissioned men told us,
1 should Judge abo;t 3 per cent of the
regulars are veteran troops, and that
nearly 80 per cent are men who have
been impressed into service. either from
the haciendas and market places or from
prisons into which they have been cast
on political pretexts with q view to their
accepting the army by preference.
Many Young Boys.
I said men. / should have said men
and boys We ran into one group Of
perhaps forty men and boys. Differed
by strong, cleanly appearing noncom-
missioned officer who was drilling the
group. 1 counted twenty-four ''men'' in
the cOmDanv who could pot haya haa,,
more than fifteen years old, and several
of them seemed hardly strong enough
to handle the heavy new Mauser rifles
with which they were equipped. The
noncommissioned officer In charge was
grateful for the prefer of a black cigar
cite. and talked freely to Richardson.
when he learned that the "Engiishman''
was one Of Huerta's officers.
Where did you get your men? Are
they new recruits?' asked Richardson
They are part of the last levy of
Pueblo Indians" he replied. explaining
that recently a great force of these In
dams had been gathered up and shipped
to the North and that a part had been
sent down by Gen. Mas. who was then
stationed at Peso de Macho. about fifty
miles west of Vera Cruz, where Mas
and Gen Rubio Navarette are located
with about 5000 men and a number Of
field guns.
Let the GrinEoes Come On.
Are you expecting trouble from the
Americanoes?" Richardson asked him.
Como no Cwby notD," was the reply
vouchsafed, and then, boastfully. Let
the gringoes come on. We are ready
for them. We will show them that 1t is
easier to talk in Mexican than to fight
in Mexico. What do they know about
this country? We can hide 5000 men be-
tween here and Pueblo and the gringoes
will not find any of them until they
feel the bullets
How many soldiers are there between
Vera Cruz and Pueblo?''
= "Quien sabe Cant say)" with a
knowing air. But this is not the year
AZ"
We rode into the first group of armed
men just the other side of Antigua,
about eight miles north Of Vera Cruz.
Meeting small group under Mai.
Espanosa, a tall, slender horseman.
who reminded me Of a picture I have
seen OF Texas rangers, and who twiri-
ed his black mustachios conscientious
ly. we accepted an invitation to share
with his company their jerked beef
and -four tortillas. We declined with
thanks. however, when we reached the
nearby outpost camp. a courteous Of
makes mescal appear like Mellen's
baby food by comparison. This COM
pany. altogether. comprised about sew
enty men, well mounted. healthy look
ing, rugged and hardy, who were en-.
gagged in the only military operation
SO far started against the Americans.
driving of what remains of a food
supply from the environs of Vera
Cruz. They had under guard some
zoo cattle, young and old, and a
number Of horses, to say nothing of
some twenty-five or thirty Sunfortu-
nate poems who had been acquired in
cidentally and were being taken
along toward Japala, where the main
army of the Mexicans expects to con-
centrate.
Something Asaut the Rnrsles.
The rurales are the "swagger'' branch
Of the Mexican military service. They
are to Mexico what the Northwestern
Mounted Police are to the plains OF
Canada. They are all single men. never
marry. and do not carry along Mexican
commissary department. which usually
comprises one woman and several I'M
clothed children for each man. and who
furnish the food, make and break camp,
transport impediamenta when the mules
are scare. and even load rifles for the
men during a protracted fight. The
rurales~ 1--WE on the country, but without
iooting. Formerly. when away from their
scattered bases. they paid for whatever
they took. Now they give receipts
sometimes.
Coming from Vera Cruz and passing
- Englishmen. we were most welcome.
We were Quogtio0ed closely a. 70 tne-