Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-04-18
BILLS OF BIG BANKS
ARE 0FFEREDLO
Selling in San Antonio for 10
and IL Cents on
Dollar.
PAN AMERICAN ACTION
URGED BY Mr.. SLAYDEN
Texas Representative Brings to
Washington First Hand Reports
Of Deplorable Mexican Affairs.

Representative James l. Slayden OF
Texas. who believes that tho best meth
cd of settling revolutionary conditions
IN Mexico would be by armed pan
American Intervention, was in Wash
lngton yesterday. having come up from
his home in Texas to attend the annual
meeting Of the board Of trustees of the
Carnegie Endowment for International
Peace. Mr. Slayden's home is In San
near the Mexican border. ard
he brought to Washington some first
hand reports OF conditions In that 500
ton.
Declaring that the situation as to
Mexico is dangerous one. Mr.. Slayden
said that 1t is getting on the nerves
OF the people who reside in the vlcin-
ity of Mexico.
Battles on the border" Mr.. Slayden
said. with incidental danger to cit
liens of the United States who are at
home attending to their own business;
parently small regard for the rights Of
Americans. make combination of cir
cumstances that are. IL not soon cor
rected. apt to lead to breaches of Inter-
national peace.
Nearly everybody sympathizes with
the Presidents desire to keep the peace.
but in the southwest many highly in
selligent and peaceful citizens let me say.
are beginning to doubt whether ii can
be done.
Chaos in Mexico.
There is absolute chaos in Mexico
Commerce is destroyed. Patriots seem
to have determined to ruin their own
country. They appear to be insanely
hostile and burn and destroy property
when there is no military advantage in
doing SO. A big part of the property
destroyed belongs TO foreigners and that
makes dangerous condition"
Speaking Of a recent decree issued by
Gen. Villa. in which it Is declared that
(who are mostly foreigners) do not be-
gin to operate them by August l. and
keep at it continuously thereafter. Mr.
Slayden said:
THAT is the most serious threat aimed
at foreign investors that has been made
and excites the greatest apprehension
The conditions are. and for a long time
have been. such that owners could not
operate their mines. and now they are
told they must do this impossible thing
tests are being made from all over the
United States and from some foreign
countries"
"Peace VIII Come"
Some time peace will come" continued
Mr.. Slayden. land then 1t will take wise
statesmen to straighten out the financial
and other tangles.
All sorts of money-that is. all sorts
Of paper money-has been issued, and
owners of property have been forced to
take it in exchange for grain. food or
other things of value. Each faction
seems to have a printing press and
foats-forcibly. Of course-issue after
Issue of promises to pay. Then the sit
uation is further complicated by enor-
nous issues of counterfeit paper; that
is. paper which neither Carranza, Villa
nor Zapata fathers. Metal money
gold and silver-has entirely disap-
peared from circulation.
"A few days ago. as Villa was march
ing down the Rio Grande to assault
Matamoros. he camped opposite Mer-
cedes. in Texas. and sent some of his
people to the north side of the river
to buy supplies. Here is what the San
Antonio Express said about the Incl
dent:
1.-The villista officers and men are in
good spirits. claim to be well fed, heav-
lily armed and feel confident they will
capture Matamoros. The villista quar-
termaster department was busy in town
today purchasing corn. flour and other
supplies. all of which were delivered at
the river near the Mercedes pumping
plant. at which point the merchants
received cash for supplies delivered
Villista currency is being traded quite
freely at 10 cents American money for
one yillista dollar. or three Villista
dollars for 25 cents American
Bank Notes for Sale Cheap.
The day I left San Antonio cut this
for sale ad out of the Express news
paper, published in that city:
six million dollars in National and
Londres bills) Mexican money. old is
sues for sale. in lots OF not less than
$4,000 at IL cents, or the whole
amount at 10 cents. All transactions
to be made through some responsible
bank in city. Post Office Box 1os'
The aNtional Bank of Mexico and
THE National Bank OF Mexico and
the banks of issue to which reference.
is made in that advertisement. -Four
years ago they were big, strong. sol
vent institutions. 1 dare say they are
not now. This advertisement lis Ger
tainly a curious thing. However, even
If the value of these bank notes has
declined they are not quite down TO
the three-for-a-quarter basis on
which Nillista money was exchanged
for supplies in Texas.
that if it should ever become neces-
sary to intervene in Mexican affairs il
should be done in association with
other American governments. In no
other way can it be done withut eX-
,iting the fears and hostility of the
lieve 1t to be nothing short of a cam
oaign of conquest and annexat ion-a
thing which they don't want and which
no citizen of this country should want