The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-06-16
ALL MEXICO IS FLOODED
WITH WORTHLESS N
Villas Pesos Worth Only Three Cents in U. S. Cur
rency-Bills Grated and Shipped in Box
Cars by Army Paymaster.

on an estate at Pasadena. Cal Since
the discovery became known no one has
been allowed to take silver money out
of Mexico.
TIL manufacture Of money has been
one of Mexico's largest industries during
the wars. The minor revolutionists of
the republic direct their principal efforts
toward capturing the printing press be-
longing to the enemy. 1t is a greater
prize than "a battery of artillery. In
Mexico the printing press. and not the
pen. Ia mighticr han the sword.
While the fighting men have been
issuing this money on the promise OF
validating II will the success OF the
revolution. their less timid brothers. the
exilcs who have found 1t healthier on
the north side OF the Rio Grande. ave
had printing presses humming just as
merrily. The result is that regardless
OF death penalties there is almost as
much coun. erfeit money in circulation
as there is bona fde. IL any OF 1t can
be called that.
Had Money Hard to Detect.
After n bad ride In a bad barouche
the American traveller can expect his
"cochero' to change his hill with money
OF the sam Calibre-bad 1t IL almost
impossible to tell one brand of money
from the other. The experts In this are
the gamblers. who profess TO know secret
marks by which the differences can be
detected
Another feature Of the money question
which causes confusion Is that bills is.
sued in one State may ba valueless ir
another State. although both States may
be under the same revolutionary DONNA
ton.
Two weeks ago the paymaster OF
villas army told me he was handling
ten millions OF paper pesos a month.
His name is Salazar and he is called
the "Pagadua General He rides In u
private Pullman with a large STAFF OF
clerks.
Before the war he was a telegraph
operator on the railroad. or course
there Is no safe or vault large enough
10 hold this money In the quantities. that
are necessary. so Il Is put in large crates
and carried along with the army In box
cars.
The soldiers In the ranks receive .
pesos a day Captains and Majors re-
ceive up 10 IL pesos a day. After a Viz
tory every ore in the army is paid &.
money bonus. But with the Generals
and favorite Coloncls I doubt whether
there Is any regular salary allotment
They simply state their needs 10 this
paymaster. who issues whatever money
is desired.
! have seen Gems jose NJ. Rodriguez
and kudolfo Fierro exchange $4,000
in a friendly game OF stud poker on tn.
battle front. Each of these General,
has an automobile tina, would cost $4,000
In the United states. A., IA. tim.
| witnessed the game the two auto
mobiles were packed under a large mes
quite tire. 200 yards In the rear q
the trenches NJ Leon. The hrigades o
hoth Generals had been ordered To tn
position to await orders for A charge
Fierro and Rodriguez were seated O,
!. the ground, with the money and tn
cards on Il blanket between thom
Eierro lost.
/, When villa arrives in territory from
, which the Carranz!stas have Withdraw
y, or been driven tho women and hoggar
Storm his car. holding up handfu,s Of m
Carranza bills and begging 70 have ther
changed into villa money In some case
the money is exchanged In other case
y the entire province hnds itself loade
Z down with worthless bills Of one kin
which cannot he spent, and facing n 400
Of worthless bills OF another kim whic
= must he accepted.
o Villas gold resources consist OF IN
cattle and mining industries In tn
north. Sine the United states place
an embargo upon the importation ,
cattle on the hoof from Mexico WIZ
in connection with American packer
, established a large packing house i
/, Iuarcz, where the cattle ar. now kille
4 and packed. Tho sale Of his meat an
: confscatcd bullion brings the none
. with which ammunition j. bought los Nh
: revolutionary purchasing agents in Ne
. York.
: Mexico has plenty OF money. II
flooded with money. The difficulty
that II is worthless.
q There is ono abstraction the Amer
4 can tourist can indulge tn when he ster
| on the street car IN Juar-z to rid
across the border into II Paso. lie ca
. pay the fare with a Mexican = cent pie,
N that looks like a rNasv milk tickle
q and the conductor has to accept u. Til
: ride costs a little over ouo-tcnth ,
4 a cent.
$ ,~Copyriqht. 1915. BY chicago Tribune.