Semi-weekly herald., 1914-05-28

ing that something would be doing.
You must surrender in 10 minutes
or we will attaclSp' said tne envoy.
When Russell, over the field wire
less, flashed the news of the incident
across the bleak sandhils to General
funston's headquarters in Vera Cruz.
there really was something doing.
But 1t was among the correspondents
and not among the officers and SOL
diers. In the first place none of the
250 of us had army passes, but only
tickets which the navy had given US.
We had to have army passes. We
rushed up to headquarters in street
cars, coaches, on foot; we beseiged
the building in which Funston has
his headquarters. They wouldn't let
US in. General Funston was busy.
they said, getting reinforcemcnts out
to the water works.
Reinforcementsf said an indig-
nant war correspondent. That's all
right. but what about us"
There won't be any battle for you
fellows to see, if we don't get some
body out to the water works to fight"
said lieutenant "We have to get
renforcements out there first, and
that's what the general is busy
| about"
Finally. it was arranged that
young lieutenant named William Bell
| should sign our passes, permitting US
10 90 to the scene. But we couldn't
go into the building; we must line up
on the sidewalk before a door-like
window which opened into the room
where Lieutenant Bell sat. We were
dead willing. 1t was our fault any
hcv, because we hadn't arranged for
our passes earlier. We stood in line
like people at theatre box office.
AS soon as a man got his pass, he
started for "the front" Starting
for the front" consisted in finding
something to ride on or in. One
young correspondent dashed into the
riddle of the street, dragged Mex
icnn peon from burro, bought the
blrro, saddle and bride outright for
fifty pesos and started off along the
asphalt pavement, in entirely the
wrong direction. Two very plump
English war correspondents hired
them to the water works; he took
them to the edge Of the town, got
stuck in the sand and brought the
pair back in the evening, after they
had ridden four miles. There was
one party of real war correspondents
---chaps who have been in wars from
Russia to Montenegro--who were
caught mapping, not yet having secur-
ed horses. They rode on street car
to the edge of town and then started
to walk the rest Of the way in the
broiling sun. They had plenty Of gin
ger and energy and enthusiasm and
bravery--three of the seven carried
huge revolvers-and everything was
all right about their expedition, ex.
cept that they went in exactly the
wrong direction. They started out at
noon, saw some federals through
field glass at 3 o'clock, at the same
hour turned back for Vera Cruz and
reached the city again eager to buy
cold cream for sunburns.
Seven photographers seized hand
car and pumped themselves fifteen
miles along the narrow guage rail-
road, five miles into the Mexican
lines. As soon as they saw Mexican
foderals they pumped themselves
back again and reached the American
lines exhausted Nobody could find
the water works in time to see the
rumpus. True, very late in the aft
cs1oon one war correspondent on
naIle, who had lost his way, wound
Up, by accident at the water works
and got the story of what happened,
first hand, from some of the soldiers
who had been witnesses to the affair
He got back to town about . in the
evening and dashed madly to the CO.
bic office, only to learn that every
correspondent in town had heard the
story and put il on the cable many
hours before. 1t had all been mat
ter Of field wireless. General Funs-
ton and his staff officers had been in
constant communication with the
forces near the water works and =
few correspondents who had been
forced to stay, broken hearted with
disappointment at headquarters, were
handed the story on silver tray. a.
It were, hours before the war corKa-
spcndents who had gone 70 ~
! front" could get back and nnd ost
that there hadn't been 4 hatt2a nnd