Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1915-04-04
Four Years of lnternecine
Strife Have Reduced Coun-
try to Condition Approach
ing Starvation,
WORLD WIDE HELP WILL
BE NECESSARY SHORTLY
Wanton Destruction of Crops
by Warring Factions Is Just
Beginning to Be Felt
Throughout the Land,
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Mexico city. March 20 tby Courier
to El faso, April 3D--A prediction
that Mexico faces "a serious situation
respecting her food supplies has been
made by committee Of Americans
and other foreigners who have been
investigating the situation, The re-
port is in part as follows:
Four years of almost continuous
fighting throughout the various parts
Of the republic has produced a c0ndi-
tion of affairs in the food supply sit
uation so serious as TO threaten a
famine Of such proportions as 10 ne
cessitate worldwide aid. The facts
that farm hands everywhere have
been thrown into so-called armies
that farm animals have been utilized
for like purposes, that leaders Of row
ing bands marching under banners
containing fantastic legends about lib
erty and the rights Of man, which
they use as n blind 20 facilitate rob-
berry, pillage ana murder, have 50 re-
duced the crop acreage that by Mo-
vember. 1915, there will be a shortage
Of 30,370,000 bushels Of corn alone,
not to mention the other absolutely
/ necessary cereals, are now well known
to those investigating. who have made
a careful study OF this phase OF Mexi-
co.'s Ills.
Farmer Can't Scratch Soil.
That the effects Of this wanton de-
struction are only just beginning to
be felt Is due to the great productive
riches Of Mexieos agricultural regions
where. 1t is said, the farmer has but
to scratch the soil and crop his seed,
i while God and sunshine do the rest
But self-seeking and self-appointed
military leaders have for 80 long
time prevented the farmer from even
scratching the soil over so great an
/ acreage that Mexico Is about to reap
the whirlwlnd she has sown.
Corn is the staff of life in Mexico
as is wheat or its products In other
countries The harvest OF this cereal
( for the present should begin about the
/ first Of November, that is eight
months from the time of this
writing Upon investigation we find
that but five states of Mexico's twen-
Z ty-seven have q sufficient supply 10
carry them over this period
4 Oaxaca, Morelos, Campeche and Ia
basco probably have enough corn TO
! last them eight months If the strict
est economy is employed in using that
4 staple. This will take care Of a pop
ulace of 700, 600. Yucatan, with
population Of $4,000. produces no
corn but has the money to buy II in
/ the United states This leaves the
rest Of Mexico, with a population Of
( approximately 13.500,00 with visi-
/ BILE supply Of approximately $4,000
+ tons, enough 10 last but three months,
Ahut next July, then, the real pinch
\ Of hunger will be felt throughout the
breadth and length of Mexico.
( Huge Corn Shortage.
| What, then, viii be necessary to re-
( lieve the consequent distress and pre-
vent, perhaps. the death Of Thousands
I from starvation? In normal times II
requires / 500, 600 tons of corn to feed
these f3 10000 over a period Of eight
[ months. With the visible supply but
/ 675. 900 tons, this leaves "a shortage
I Of t,t25, 900 tons or 3a.375,0O0 BUSH
4 els. This corn must be purchased
/ from the United States. The present
market price laid down ut points
along the northern frontier is 90 cents
( gold q busheI. If we allow I 3 cents
gold bushei for distribution cost
through the various parts Of the re-
public. We have "a charge Of sl.0 % gold (
I per bushel, which Will necesstate the I
I tA tfUiAhlt III - Sol Tot ~ -VtN w ]
/ prevent devastating famine. by
that time the purchasing power Of the (
Mexican peso will have dropped 70
10 cents gold, so, due to the uncon
scionable, ignorant and selfish atti- /
tude of the military ornaments of all 7
factions Mexico will find herself 1
called upon TO expend 13,f37 500 PEI I
SOS to prevent the larger part of her 4
population from starving TO death.
Where is this money to come from I
With a bottom prlce seraped treas I
ury and a white-bled country, Mexico \
must throw herself upon the charity \
OF the world.
Crops Fed to Horses.
Not only have they taken away the \
man and the farm animal from the 7
land and thus produced these dire re-
suits, but many instances have been
reported where the different military
commanders have actually permitted 4
the horses and mules to feed on the
young and growing corn IN such Sec
tiOns where ID may have been planted,
fwnne drougnts m the north and east 4
have completed the work Of ruin in 7
aagurated by these men. Stored grain Il
has also been burned in considerable
Quantities BY the vandals and the rec
ords show that in the face OF all this
some selfish military leaders have ac-
tually exported grain to enrich them
selves Due 70 the paralysis OF the 4
means of communication throughout
"a larger part Of the republic such Z
stores OF corn and grain as we're raised
and saved could not be transported \
from the regions Of production 20
those Of consumption, causing a waste
Of the too small stock on hand.
That these conditions are the di-
rect result Of the wanton and selfish
attitude Of the military leaders Of dif-
ferenG factions who claim to be fight
ing for the liberties Of the people. has
been made most plain nf late by the
fCanfnasd on Pags TwoI u