Albuquerque morning journal., 1915-07-31
RED CROSS GIVES
UP STRUGGLE IN
STARVING MEXICO
Unable to Cope With Awful
Conditions, Relief Manager
Returns in Disbursement
to United States,

Washington. July 30-No more,
brilliant illumination OF the awful
conditions existing i'm Mexico could be
supplied than by the abandonment hy
the American Rcd Cross of relief
work in that unhappy country Bri-.
gadier General Carroll A. DeyoL gem
eral manager of the Red Cross, has
returned TO Washington from Fort
Sam Houston completely discouraged
over the prospect of sending further
food supplies TO thousands of Mexican
men, women and children who are
known TO be starving
While much good has been done
and only today Consul General Hanna
writes that thousands have been saved
from actual starvation in the territory
about Monterey, the Red Cross Off
cials have decided that they are not
warranted in rsking valuable food
cargoes among the bandits who are
roaming the country in the name of
constiutionalists.
Civilians Victims of Armies.
I'm many cases, transportation is re-
fused by the Mexican generals for
the alleged reason that the supplies
are not needed. In others the ship
ments are seized and diverted TO So
called military uses. The truth is that
the Mexican leaders on both sides
concern themselves only with provid-
ing for their troops and care nothing
for the wants of the civilian popula-
ton
This fact has been proved in count
less instances by the ruthless deyasta-
tion of farms by invading troops. the
soldiers taking only enough to pro-
vide for themselves and leaving the
peaceful poems and their families TO
their fate. The country bounded +.
roughly by the lines running from FL
Paso around through Torreon and /
Monterey to Laredo is a great wheat 7
region, but even now the horses of /.
the bandits have been turned loose I
into the wheatlields and allowed to .
Craze at will.
IIuerta's Grim joke Recalled.
Carranza's S private secretary came .
north not long ago. He is a young .
Spaniard and to Americans he eX- /
planned the Spanish point Of view OF
the suffering among the non-com-
batants, caused by the war.
"A good many people suffered from
hunger in your own civil war; he
told the Americans. AS long as
there is fighting, we must expect that
the people will go hungry But this
.
gained control of the country. which
will be within a few weeks
This was several weeks ago, and the
dispatches Of today state that, after
occupying Mexico city a few days the
Carranzistas have departed ana the
city is given over again to the ruff
fans who compose the so-called army
Of Zapata The incident recalls
Huertas grim joke a few days ago,
when he remarked that the climate
of Mexico City is especially salubrious,
and he trusted that Carranza would
enjoy his brief visit there
Cheaper to Shoot Prisoners.
II is only re-telling a familiar story
to say that the MeXicans have no con-
Ception of the prosecution of war by
civilized methods. II is no secret
along the border that neither side is
taking prisoners Soldiers who are
OverpoWered or who run out of ann
munition either join the ranks Of the
enemy if they are permitted to do SO,
or are shot down as they stand. Pris-
onors are expensive and burdensome
and the idea of feeding a disarmed
enemy and keeping him out of the
ranks by internmont until the war
ends does not appeal to the Mexican
mind II is easier and cheaper to
shoot down the prisoner, and even
profitablc. for he IS promptly stripped
of an he has about him that is worth
ANYTHING.
What successful warfare means to
the ambitious peon--if this is not a
contradiction of terms-is illustrated
by the story of an American who
watched well appointed parlor car
roll into the station near his own
Mexican plantation. Aboard H. live
ing in royal fashion In one of the
staierooms, brave in uniform and ac-
compauied by two accommodating
Women, was "a man whom the Ameri-
can recognized as one who had been
for some time in his employment dig
ging postholes.
Wantonness Vividly Pictured.
The wantonness Of the marauders
commanded by "officers" like this
fellow is illustrated by the actions Of
one band witnessed by another
American on a hacienda where
drove of cattle We're peacefully feed
ing in the pasture protected by a
uaroed wire fence, A troop or sol
dlers came along and opened fire up
ON the helpless creatures. Several
dropped and others ran away wound
ed, perhaps to die. The soldiers
leaped the fence and, cutting out the
loln parts from each PROSTATE ami
maj. made off with the meat and rode
on, leaving the rest to spoil.
The brutality shown 10y Mexicans In
lheir treatment of prisoners has more
of economic necessity 70 excuse II
than their lack of care Of their own
wounded Another American wit
messed a fight between Villstas and q
tarrauzistae near a railroad station G
at which a train was standing, Most }
of the troops In the field were mount I
ed and this was a cavalry encounter. |
Wounded Soldiers Ignored.
Both sides apparently exhausted al q
iheir ammunition and then started TO p
run away from each other Many or j
one of the parties headed for the 9
lraln which they boarded, leaving \
ttheir horses to care for themselves as )
best they could The train pulled out !
ana the American was passenger
Anout twenty men wounded in the
skirmish had been brought aboard
and the American noticed that no at
lenuon was paid them by the other
soldiers
AS matter Of the most ordinary
humanity he constituted himself
nurse and did what he could for the g
neipless MeXicans. receiving no assist j
ahce whatever from their able-bodied
companions The train stopped at a i
station about twenty-five miles from Z
lhe scene Of the battle and the sol g
dlers managed to get a lot Of beer }
ABOARD, with some ice
Starving Eat Cactus. 5
The American went to the captain q
and begged for some of the ice that {
ne might give cold water to the