New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-03-09
THOUSANDS DIE
OF STARVATION
Mexico City in Frightful
Condition for Lack of
Food and Water.
BY GEORGE ADDISON HUGHES.


Mexico City by courier TO Calves
tom. Feb. 23.-Five thousand men.
women and children. il is estimated.
have died here of pestilence and starry
alton within the last month.
Epidemcs Of disease bred by filth
and nultured by lack CT food have
raised the death toll to an average Of
a hundred day. twenty-five per cent
of the population is to-day suffering
from some illness.
Unsanitary conditions. caused by lack
of water. have reached an Undesirable
stage, and a sickening stencil perysdes
the entire federal district
Scarcity of food precipltated terri
bic situation, but that situation. ac
companied now by lack Of water and at
tendant disease, Is indie scribable.
Mexico City is undergoing the cruel
lest siege since Ladysmith and what is
perhaps the strangeSt IN world his
tory, the capital being besieged by the
very army which is occupying IL. I'm
less relief comes in some form within
a few weeks Ladysmith will be out
cone.
Stripped of Supplies.
Never before has a city not only
been besieged by the army controlling
il blt used by that army as base Of
supply. The supplies OF this stricken
city are being Slapped away to supply
Vera Cruz, Puebla. Cordoba. 0rizaba,
San Luis Potosi and Quaretaro.
Carranza. revenglng himself again.
the city that has manifested deep hate
for him, IS drawing away the food
stufs here and storing them in Vera
Cruz, an unblOckaded port.
Carra1Za is straining every effort 70
drive the masses OF the capital ln.o
his service. using the knout Of starva-
tion and disease. But the masses. waC-
ing an unarmed and apparently hope
less war against such conscriptory
measures. prefer death by starvation
to death in Carranza's service.
The city water supply is derived
from Nochimiico, which is in the
hands Of the Iapstistas only because
Carranza's forces here have, in thor
obvious efforts to breed disease. made
no real effort 70 take the village.
Official explanation Of the failure "a
take Xochimilco is that the Iapatis,aS
have destroyed the water plant, and
from a military point Of view tina,
suburb is useless.
But the water plant mas not been
destroyed. Proof Of this came yeste"'
day when three hundred Constitution
alists attempted 10 reach NochimilcC
through the underground water mains
and were drowned to a man like r?ts
in a trap when the water was turned
, on.
Led Battalion to Death.
Colonei AIarinaiarena, on his own
initiative in an effort TO relieve the city,
led the sacrihcial battalion 20 their
death. Reports given out here are that
he fell in battle. Had he succeeded In
relieving the city for even a few hours
he undoubtedly would nave been court
martialed if he had ever returned.
The bodies Of his troops are still ro'-
ting IN the great water main and a
nauseating sickness has resulted all
over the city a result OF the water
drunk here during the twenty minute
flow.
Deaths from digestive disorders are
officially quoted in the Federal district
statistics to be three times greater
than at any previous time. The total
number Of deaths from TITO in the
whole Federal district cannot be OH
cially quoted as it IL unobtsinable, the
Carranza government keeping these Sc
crcts. The records are neld al vera
Cruz.
Topping the terrible situation created
by lack of food and water, merchants
of the city, adulterating the foodstuhs
they SELL have added horror 10 horror.
The municipal council. originally the
governing power in lieu of other civil
power. has provided severe punishment
for all those merchants drawn INTO the
net of investigation now on here
Some wheat bread appeared on the
market here after the city had been Yen
DAYS without bread Of any kind, but the
wheat also is fast disappearing now.
Food Sold to Europe.
The great Constituencies shame o.
it all is that while Mexico City mas
not food enough for the population 20
keep body and soul together the sup
plies are being taken from here Tor
the purpose of selling them 10 Europe:
Warehouses controlled by relatives OF
men high in the Constitutionalst ser
vice are being stocked at Vera Cruz
TO meet contracts made with French
and English concerns supplying their
respective governments.
S------