The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1915-04-14

Che visible supply but 675,0O0 tons,
this leaves a shortage of 1,125,OOO
tons. or 39.375,00O bushels. This
corn must be purchased from the
United States. The present market
price laid down at points along the
Northern frontier is go cents gold a
bushel II we allow l cents gold a
bushel for distribution we have
charge of S1.05 gold per bushel,
which will necessitate the expendi-
ture of s41. 34S.75O gold to prevent
devastating famine. By that time
the purchasing power of the Next
can peso will have dropped to 10
cents gold; so, due to the uncon-
sciously ignorant and selfish atti-
tude of the military elements of all
factions, Mexico will find herself
called upon to expend 413,437,500
pesos to prevent the large part of
her population from starving to
death.
"Where is this money to come
from? With bottom-price scraped
treasury and a white-bled country,
Mexico must throw herself on the
charity of the world.
That these conditions are the di-
rect result of the wanton and sell
fish attitude of the military leaders
of different factions, who claim to
be fighting for the liberties of the
people, has been made most plain of
late by the conduct of Gen. Alvaro
Obregon, acting under the directions
of Gen. Venustiano Carranza. Gen.
Obregon entered the City of Mexico
on January 30 last. On the follow
ing day the water supply was cut.
The price of foodstufrs, already very
high, due to the depreciation in the
purchasing power of Mexican cur
rency, rose to exorbitant figures, but
Gen. Oregon. acting under the di-
rect orders of Gen. Carranza, en-
deavored in every way to prevent
the introduction of foodsstuffs into
Mexico City. Not only did he re-
fuse the City Council railway cars
for transporting such stocks as were
available in regions contiguous to
the capital and controlled by his
troops, but he ordered his outposts
to confiscate such as were brought
in from neighboring regions on the
backs of horses or mules. There
was an abundance of evidence point
ing to the fact that this inhuman
conduct was part of a deliberate cam
paign to drive the populace into en-.
listing in the ranks of his army.
"When the inevitable consequence.
es of this plan began to evince them.
selves and the people cried for food
General Obregon addressed them
through the press and by means OF
printed posters informs them thai
the food shortage was due to specu
; lators and to the selfishness of the
well-to-do classes. He immediatel!
decreed a special tax levy of 20,
100000 pesos to relieve what HI
had the effrontery to characterize al
the desperate situation of the city'
poor. When the merchants refused
to pay this tax, he invited the rabbl'
to take what they could by lootinl
and sacking, informing them owe
his signature that if this genera
looting began, he would march on
of the city with his troops, not firini
single shot to prevent the mol
from taking what they wished. Blu
the people were not deceived. The
refused to be used as his tools. TIL
merchants of the foreign colonie
raised a relief fund of more thai
100000 in few days by volun
tary subscription and the acut
. stage of the crisis passed.
prices of foodstuffs in Mexic
City are two and three hundred pc
cent higher than in normal time
: and still rising. due to the machi
nations of military leaders of tn
type of Obregon. which unfortunate