The Sentinel=record., 1915-04-04
ust throw herself upon the charity

Not only have they taken away
 the man and the farm animal from
 the land and thus produced these dire
 results, but many instances have been reported where the different military commanders have actually permitted l the horses and mules to feed on the young and growing corn in such sec tions where it may have been planted, while drouehts in the north and east have completed the work of Iuin in. augurated by these men. Stored grain has also been burned in consid. erable quantities by the vandals and the records show that in the face Of all this some selfish military leaders have actually exported grain to en. rich themselves
 Due 10 the paralysis of the means of communication throueaout a lager part of the republic. such stores of corn and grain as were raised and saved could not be transported from the regions of production to those of consumption, causing a waste of the small stock on hand. That these con. diuons are the direct result Of the wanton and selfish attitude of the military leaders of different factions who claim to be fighting for the lib. critics of the people has been made most plain of late by the conduct of General Alvaro Obregon. acting un. der the directions of General Venus tiano CarranZa.
 General ObregOn entered the City of Mexico on January 29 last. On the following day the water supply of the city was cut. The price of foodstuffs. already very high, due to the depre- citation fin the purchasing power of Mexican currency. rose to eXorbitant figures, but General ObregOn, acting under the direct orders of General Carranza, endeayored in every way to prevent the introduction of foodstuffs into Mexico City.
 Not only did he refuse the city council railway cars for transporting such stocks as were available in the regions contiguous to the capital and controlled by his troops, but ne or. dered his outposts to confiscate such as were brought in from neighboring regions on the backs of mules. horses or donkeys There is an abun lance of evidence pointing to the fact this inhuman conduct was part of a delb- crate campaign to starye the popu- lace into enlisting in the ranks of his army
 When the inevitable consequ5 fences Of this plan began 10 evince them. selves, and the people cried for food General Obregon addressed them through the press, and by means ol printed posters, informing them that the shortage was due to spectators and 10 the selfishness of the well-to- do classes. He immediately decreed special levy of 200OO,000 pesos to relieve what he had the affrontery to characterize the desperate situation of the citys poor
 When the merchants refused to pay this tax he invitetd the rabble to take what they could by footing and sacking, informing them under his signature that if this general footing began, he would march out of the city with his troops. not firing a single shot to prevent the mob from taking what they wished But the people were not deceived They re- fused to be used as his tools The merchants of the foreign colonies raised a relief fund of more than $5oooo0 in a few days by voluntary subscriptions and the acute stage of the crisis passed
 Prices of foodstuffs in Mexico City are two and three hundred per cent higher than in normal times and still rising, due to the machnations of military leaders of the type of Obre- gon. which, unfortunately, includes practically all.
 What is true of the food situation in Mexico City applies also to the fuel situation The spirit which will starye a people for personal gain. or selfish military ambition, does not make for liberty or democracy Mex ico must reap as she has sown, and unless the anarchy, chaos, and desO- lation which prevail in all parts of
 the republic under the guise of lib- erating armies, is remedied, the world will witness a spectacle here
 which will be as a page torn out of l the history of the middle ages"