El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1915-06-30
MYTHICAL CHIEF
. DIRECTS YAQUI5
Complete Organization Is
Maintained by Indians in
War Against Nations.

Nogales. Ariz., June 30.-Although
the Yaqui indians Of Sonora are said
! to have declared war on Mexico and
{ the United States, at least so Tar as
3 American settlers in their region are
J concerned, and United states Warsnlps
{ have been dispatched to cope with the
} situation, Information as to the process
/ by which this declaration Of war was
made is still lacking. It is known
7 that the tribe retains a political or
| ganization- What appears to De an
! almost mythical supreme chief reigns
! in the hills above their valley and IS
! said to direct the actions Of the minor
chiefs who have taken groups OF the
tribe into the Mexican warfare.
! An Associated Press correspondent,
| during a trip to the west coast with
/ Carranza, learned this and a number
| OF other interesting things concerning
| the EaQuis, about whom little true ma
! terial has hitherto been published.
7 Although they have been in almost
constant warfare since the organiza-
tor of the Mexican nation, the Yaquis
never have been fully conquered or
won over to European civilization But
their struggle against the advance OF
civilization did not assume threatening
proportions until the recent reYolu-
tionary activities gave them modern
war munitions and military training
Previously these most Warltke Mexican
indians had confined themselves TO
guerilla fighting. The arming Of the
( Yaquis to take part in MexicO's domes-
4 tic quarrel made possible their more
extensive military movements, threat
ening not only the American colonists
in the YaQuis valley about Guaymas,
but the sovereignty Of the Mexican race
along that rich portion OF the west
coast
The Yaqui region lies a few miles
inland from the important California
gulf port city Of Guaymas- The in
dams years ago lost most OF their
rich agricultural lands in the valley
Their strongholds are in the hill coun-
try, from (which they make frequent
raids on the Mexican settlers In the
valley below. It has been only recent
" that their assaults were directed
against the American settlers in the
valley. who had given the indians
profitable employment as laborers-
s.Pacfficoss Work With sEBrOneos7
RumOrs asserted that the 1aqui
leaders were controlling the Maytorena ]
government These were denied Of
ficially until the more recent develop
ments showed that the so-called |
'-pacifico" NaQuls were working IN
injunction with their bronco or
wild brothers in their lifelong attempt /
to regain the valley farming lands now
developed to a high degree by the
The Yaquis' rival, but first cousin.
is the Mayo indian, whose lands closely |
adJoin the HaQui valley. The Mayo |
though Of good fightig ability and ire |
quently victorious over the faQui tribe /
is Of a more peaceful inclination ana ]
has retained by diplomatic means /
some valuable farming land The !
Mayo also entered the revolutionary /
struggle Large numbers Of the Mayo /
braves Joined the CarranZa ranks ana /
have been assisting materially In the ]
ObregOn victories over the Villa army /
in central Mexico. This left the 4aqui /
in undisputed control in Sonora The I
plan, formerly suggested Of playing ]
the Mayo against the faQui could not /
be employed since the bulk Of the Mayo /
fighting men had been removed
Taquis Related to Apaehes.
The racial characteristics Of the /
Yaqui OF Mexico are similar TO those |
Of the Apaches, who caused contiue1 /
warfare in the early development Of I
the southwestern United States. Like I
his northen cousin the YaQui has been /
guilty Of all manner Of brutality 1
directed against his prisoners, and IS 4
known TO have employed modes OF toy
ture as skillful as those Of the ancient /
Chinese.
Indians Readily Charge. /
While retainig his tribal tongue /
and savage customs. the Haqui be
came skilled in military methods. lie j
kept his skillful manner Of guerilla /
warfare, but adopted to a large extent |
some European methods In the at /
tacks on the SOnora-Arizona border /
towns the Taqui troops made desepr- i
ate assaults on the Carranza trenches, /
charging the positions much in the I
manner Of the European sordier. II /
had been difficult to make the Mext-
can troops do this
Drums TerrOrize.
the 4uaQl in his natural stage OF i
military development had used small /
drums on which he gave simple march i
ing orders These drums took the /
place of the voice or trumpet and hal /
the advantage by THE peculiar noise /
OF making IL difficult for the enemy I
to locate the source Of the sound. In /
military service with his Mexican /
eighbors the Kaqui developed a more I
extensive system Of drum signals. un- 4
til his officers could command large /
OF men to make all manner o. i
The Yaqui. unlike other in /
dams, always had marched in military 1
formation until deployed for action- I
Many battles were won merely by the /
noise Of their YaQui drums which i
seemed to terrorlze the anamE whan the l