Iditarod pioneer., 1914-05-16
HUERTA'S REIGN OF TERROR

missing" Huertas dictatorship developed into a veritable reign of terror. Huertas only hope of holding his blood bought power was to shed more blood.
 what lengths the new president would dare to go, began to protest against HueIta s method One evening at o'clock a cordon of soldiers surrounded the house of dcpu- ties, while other soldiers entered and ar rested 100 of the leading statesmen of Mexico. They were herded to jail like com mon prisoners, and they were hardly locked up in their cells before Huerta declared himself dictator of the country. He called an election It was held. A new house of deputies was chosen, every man of whom was Huerta's servant. At pre- yious make believe election Huerta had been chosen president but the votes were so few and so obviously controlled that even Huerta didn't dare to call himself elected.
 And so. with infinite craft, he ordered his new house of deputies to declare that the election was void and that another cleo ton be held on the 9th of July, 1914 and that in the meantime Huerta be cOnsid- cred provisional president This congress also voted to Huerta dictatoral powers and then adjourned, leaving him in sole possession of the government, in a situa- ton that made his word and order as strong as any laws that both houses might pass.
 In the meantime rebel victories multi piled; shortly every northern state was in rebel hands Francisco Villa, who had been one of Madero's generals took the field with Carranza It is true that Pas cual Orozco went to Huerta's side, but a blight seemed to be placed on all his for mer prowess, and defeats met him at every turn. How to get money and how to raise an army were Huertas problems. He set about to do these things, but every dollar he raised by taxation only made him a new enemy, and every peon whom he other soldier on whom he could not de pend. By the seventh month of this rule he had built up a large army and had distributed it about the country, but he could not pay it.
 You must pay these soldiers" he or dered the business men and farmers of the various districts ''or l will withdraw them" In many cases the business men and farmers chose not to have the federal soldiers in their localities. They preferred, indeed to have the rebels rule over them, for the federals were men of low class. many of them conscripted criminals turned loose from the jails cruel, heartless and in satiable for money, women and alcohol. Neither could Huerta trust his officers He said once in burst of confidence to Nelson O'ShaughnesSy, charge d'afaires in the American embassy, T cant trust my off cers. l only wish I had about 15O Ameri can captains down here. I'd clean those rebels out in a short time"
 Graft prevailed in every corner of the army. One trouble is that nobody n my army ever dies" said Huerta on another occasion. 'Death never causes any changes in the payroll. Five hundred soldiers may be killed in a battle, but the payroll never shows it" And so what money Huerta was able to gather together in various ways was vainly spent in the main It was like pounding sand into rat hole he didn't get his moneys worth of military effort at any stage of the game. Even if the United States had recognized him. however. and he had been able to secure all the funds he wished for, Huerta could not have crushed the revolution against him Proof self, with s620OO0 900 in his treasury and means of securing much more, was forced to yield to Madero's demands that he re- sign. Diaz knew that it was not money he needed, but men; and he knew that the time had come in Mexico when, among the oppressed millions, there were not to be found enough men to make up an army that would support oppressors
 During the months that Huerta was hold ing the government by force, Felix Diaz, nephew of the former president and ac- complice of Huerta in the overthrow of Madero, was discovering the truth of the old adage, Traitor to one, traitor to all"
 Huerta sent Diaz on a mission to Japan to thank the government there for its participation in the Mexican centennial celebration of 1910. This was a laugheble mission. At least four men, leaders whom the Maderos or Huerta desired to leave the country, had been started off for Japan, only to be stopped on the way in Europe, with orders to remain in Europe As soon as Diaz got his orders he knew their sig nlticance He was to be thrust aside. But he started, nevertheless He got as far as Victoria, B. c. Then he turned round and started hack for Mox,;,.