Las Vegas optic., 1914-02-10
FIRST MEXICAN WAR
PICTURES HERE
MUTUAL THEATER SECURES AN
UNUSUAL FEATURE ATTRAc-
TloN FOR TONIGHT

Following is a review Of the Mex
lean was pictures which win be shown
tonight at the Mutual theater ON
Bridge street, by w. Stephen Bush IN
the Moving Picture World:
The Mutual Film company has rem
dered a great service by showing
these Mexican War Pictures" There
is no historian like the camera This
glimpse of the struggle going on in
our pitiable sister republic to the
south is worth all the printed articles
in the newspapers and magazines from
the day old Diaz left Mexico to this
present moment The Mutual films
convince us at once that the trouble
in Mexico is neither war nor magnifi-
cent Villas army is at best
band of guerrillas. After viewing the
Greek-Bulgarian war pictures, / could
not believe that anything lower might
exist in the scale Of civilized warfare,
but these Mexican pictures have added
new though not bright leaf to his
tory.
saw General Villa, General Ortega,
General Manzanillas and other gener-
ais mentioned by the gentleman who
explained the pictures and have not
a just conception Of what a Mexican
general looks like. They were all
pleased to be kinematog tographed. Villa
and Ortega posed as meelly before
the camera as any novice and obed-
iently took off their hats when told
to do so by the photographer. The
| pictures do not portray or claim to
portray battle; they snow among,
other things the conditions in and
around Oiinaga after the battle which
was fought in and about that town.
Ojinaga is just cluster of houses
with a church. It was badly damaged
by the soldiers of Villa and the films
gave a very good picture Of the dam
age done The films also showed the
badly battered buildings from whicn
the federals were driven by the con-
stitutionahsts and likewise the
trenches that had been dug BY the.
federals. There was a good view Of
the police station at Oiinaga and the
little plaza Of the stricken town The
police station had been the military
headquarters Of the federals. Other
things shown on the Mexican side Of
the Rio Grande were the rrain Of cap
tured guns and ammunition wagons,
the review Of the army before Gen
eral villa, the captured federal pris-
oners, the wretched refugees on their
way to the American side.g
Many people. I think will be more
interested in the scenes taken on the
American side, The Americans have
indeed ':intervened," ana I earnestly
hope these pictures will be shown in
Europe in order that the civilized
world may be convinced just how
America has INTERVIEWED We have
"intervened" not with arms; but with
bread and shelter for the poor women
and children who are dragged along
at the end of these tradnbands Of
guerriilasg and we have ':intervenei"
by treating the wounded soldiers OF
boal sIdesa who have sought refuge
on the right side of the Rio Grande.
The scenes showing how Uncle Sam
takes care of these unfortunates are
most touching and Instructive These
Mexieans seem to be quite content
and all were anxious to get into the
pictures. Even in the most civilized
methods Of modern warfare the ele-
ment Of horror and wretchedness
overtops every other aspect.
In the so-called Mexican civil war;
there Is. aa these films testify most
eloQuentIy nothing Of the glory and
glamor of war. The films convince
rs that the struggle Id Mexico Is down
to the lowest level OF human misery
and aordidness: lot Of poor poems.
more or less badly armed. fighting
for they do not know what and MUIR
dering each other like bands OF saw
ages. There Is no scene Of actual
fight or murder in the films but not