Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-02-21
Ell PasO Citizens Assail
Wilson'S Mexican Policy
as Cause of Benton Murder


Ell PASo, Tex, Feb. 21-Part of
resolutions regarding the killing .,of
William S. Benton by General Villa
unanimously adopted at a mass meet
ing of citizens of Ell Paso,a and refugees
from Mexico here last night are as
follows:
The cold blooded and heartless as
sassination of William S. Benton
without cause whatever other than
the fact that he went to Juarez to
protest against the confiscation of his
property. Los Remedies ranch. in
northern Mexico which had been re-
peatedly looted, is but another crime
to be added to the hundreds that have
alrady been committed against all
foreigners living in Mexico, who have
been driven from their homes their
property destroyed, in many cases
women have been outraged and, for
eigners murdered in cold blood, and
for no other reason than on account
of their nationality. r
Suppressio8 of Facts.
I'VE believe that the state depart
ment at Washington has persistently
suppressed facts concerning the true
conditions in Mexico and endeavored
through inspired newspaper arti, les
and by other means to mislead the
American people and form public
opinion for political purposes in sup
port of policy that is ruinous to all
foreign interests in Mexico and to the
Mexican people themselves
Some months ago the state depart
ment officially declared in one Of its
messages to Mexico that II would no d
the Mexican leaders personally re-
sponsible for outrages committed
against American citizens. At the
present moment our government is
harboring General Ynez Salazar, who
has an unbroken record ever since he
took the field in Mexico of outrages
committed against our citizens.
There are many citizens of this
city who were cruelty and brutally
treated by this man, many of whom
have been held for ransom, and at
least one. Mr.. Fountain, who was shot
by his order, and thus far he has
been immune from all punishment by
our government
"At 1.-The present moment Maxine
Castillo, who for many months has
been at the head of an outlaw band in
Northern Mexico, holding our citizens
for ransom and perpetrating all kinds
of outrages, whose band recently
burned alive between fifty and sixty
passengers in the Cumbre tunnel on
the Northwestern railroad is being
given asylum and protection by our
government. ~
Attack facilitating Policy.
I'VE submit these facts as evidence
that our government is, through a
weak and vacillating policy, ercour-
aging these lawless leaders to commit
all kinds of outrages against foreign
ers. and doing great injustice to our
own people that is resulting in a loss
of hundreds of millions of dollars of
foreign capital, the murder of many
of our citizens. the raping of Ameri-
can women, and ruination of Mexico
itself.
1.-THE career of Francisco Villa, a
man who has been an outlaw and
murderer for many years, and who is
now leading an arbitrary and despotic
reign of terror over Northern Mexico,
is more cruel and barbarous in his
methods than any tyrant in the
worlds history. 1t is "a fact that he
has treated with contempt the repre-
sentativee of all nations. and that he
does not hesitate to put a man to
death for the slightest cause and for
in any way mourning his displeasure.
We believe it a disgrace to our gov
tolerate such a man, much less to give
him moral support.
Appeal for Publicity.
Therefore, be it resolved, That this
message be sent to the President of
the United States, the British ambas-
sador at Washington, and request
that it be read into the Congressional
Record, and we appeal to them and to
all our representatives in both
branches of Congress to adopt reso-
luton to compel the state department
to transmit to Congress its records
pertaining to the outrages committed
against Americans and foreigners in
Mexico and to take such action as
will give our people the protection
guaranteed them under their consti-
tutional rights and to maintain the
honor and prestige of our country in
the eyes of the world. We appeal to
you to make known the facts to the
American people and to see that our
citizens who are living in Mexico and
have invested their money there in
good faith are given the protection
that is justly due them"