The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-07-19

that Gen. Funstons measures will do
more than bring prices down to normal
and II is 10y no means certain that they
will do that.
Furthermore. the Vera Cruz Chamber
| OF Commerce declined Gen. Funs on g
invitation to appoint representatives to
join with the army in investigating the
food situation. Unable to see the writ
| ing on the wall the members feared
| mat they would be forced to approve OF
measures contrary to their own interest.
whereas the fact Is that had the invi-
| tation been accepted the free inn
portation order would have been SO ar
| ranged as To permit them to dispose of
existing stocks without danger Of real
| loss.
The food situation was really most
nearly critical in the first two weeks Of
the occupation of Vera Cruz just after
the fighting. Then the Mexicans ex-
pected an advance upon the part of the
Americans, and people in the rural dis
tricts were too frightened 70 think Of
ventur.ng into the city. For days there
was not a drop Of milk to c had, cx-
ccpt out of cans; there were no fruits.
not even the humble lime which makes
| tea more saVury: there were no eggs.
except those on hand at the moment Of
occupation and the supply of meat
seemed limited to the cattle already
within the city's limits avail; ng slaugh-
| ter.
Naturally. prices promptly scared.
| The American, accustomed always to
| satisfying his wants, felt he was
| achieving something of "A triumph If he
| obtained eggs for breakfast ashore. even
| though he had to pay three times tn.
normal price for them. The situation
was far worse, however, for the MeNi-
| cans. Thousands, in the early days,
| were thrown out Of work 10y the com
plete disruption of the city's activities.
| Accustomed to live each day on the
wages of the day before these people
soon found themselves in the bread
| lines established by the navy. Hun
drcds were fed, even while they were
waiting to get transportation on the
| American train out Of the city.
For many days the navy, bo sides feed
| ing its own with supplies bro ght ashore
from the ships, supported a large por-
ton Of the population Of Vera Cruz
and even Americans. pouring in from
all quarters N Mexico, took a meal
with the navy as often as opportunity
serious indeed had ii not been for the
fleet in the harbor. Each ship turned
out thousands of loaves of fresh bread
each day and sent ashore boat load
after boat load of fresh meat and canned
goods Most Of the squadron of steam
crs chartered by the navy for carrying
supplies and refugees were c"nNert' ii
into huge boarding houses for the
hundreds of Americans and also for
elgners who kept streaming into Vera
| Cruz from the interior. The policy or
Admiral Badger in hustling these ref
ugees north as fast as possible was
wise in view Of the tremendous pressure
upon the navy for food with the prac-
| teal exhaustion of the local supply
With the arrival OF the army the sit
nation was much the same and for many
DAVIS the soldiers had the task Of feed
ing thousands of MeNcans. with the
| reorganization of the city government
work rapidly became available for those
who would accept 1t and the Mexican
! was in position To buy at least pare
subsistence If he would. by that time,
however, the assurances sent out hy
| Admiral Fletcher, almost from the hrst
day and at every opportunity, were be-
ginning to have their effect. 1t was
impressed upon lHt I''pl' W WA ' 80
upon the tranloads of refugees carried
ont and upon those met outside the lines
that the city of Vera Cruz was as free
to the entry of MeXicans as 1t had ever
| been.
Confidence was gradually restored and
supplies began to trickle in from the
| suburbs. Reports Of the ready sale AT
high prices of eggs. poultry and garden
truck and fruits reached the small farm
ers outside. to whom government Is a
matter Of complete Indifference except
as IL affects their personal safeuy ana
freedom of movement. The varied menu
was once more restored to the res
taurants and the tables of the better
| class of residents of Vera Cruz.
The business Of supplying Vera cruz
with it's food, however, IL still primitive.
Practically everything is brought In
either on the backs of the natives or at
best on the sleeply little hurros or
diminutive Mexican horses, Carts are UNI
| known as there are almost no roads, so
thai large scale production and hauling
| to market does not exist.
A burrO brings in as much as can he
| contained in two or four panners-