Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-03-31

brigade.
Upon the Zapatista re-occupation
Of Mexico City, March II. the IL who
had escaped returned to avenge their
dead comrades in crime.
The McManus home, ten minutes
from the national palace, was flying
the American flag, and the gates Of
the wall were sealed with Brazilian
legation crests. The soldiers ripped
away the seals and tried to force the
gate. It was steel barred and held.
Then they began scaling the walls.
McManus cried out to them that he
would shoot II they entered. He went
to the roof. The soldiers opened fire
on him. He replied.
The entire Zapatista army Of &C.
cupation' was passing the gates If
his home. not so feet distant, on their
way into the Zocole, and Zapatistas
began dropping from the ranks AMI
participating in the firing at Nc
Manus. Finally. single handed he
was battling 800 braves. who were
Smelling his cover on the roof. and he
fell wounded.
A. he lay unconscious six Of tho
Zapatistas who reached him first
placed tho muzxIes Of their guns At
his head and blew out his brains.
Half an hour later we lowered his
body from the roof to the Brazilian
legation automobile, which was fly
ing the Brazilian and Red Cross flags.
As the body lay under these flags,
the very Zapatista guards stationed
around the house by the authorities
to prevent further depredations,
stepped up to tho body, knocked
aside two other Amerieans-one J. B.
Mcdonald Of Los Angeles and the Los
Angeles Times correspondent, and
soat upon and kicked the corpse,
hiasphemins in tho viIest language.
Attache Rice Of the Brazilian lega-
ton was standing near by and the
weeping widow, also there. was COM
PEELED with US to witness this.
Do our readers believe that help
less Americans in ANY country would
have received such a reply from
James G. Blaine. Elihu Root or John
Hay? In substance the Bryan an
swer was: "It matters not whether
you can or not, get out or take the
consequences"
Having destroyed the little govern
ment Mexico had, by petty meddling.
the American government now who'll
ly abandons U. S. citizens and their
interests there, save for an occasional
mealy -mouthed telegram OF pro
test"
And what does an American pro-
test amount to, when everything
American is held in the most fragrant
contempt by every faction of bandits.
cutthroats. highway robbers and
moral degenerates now dominating
everything Mexican. The American
flag is torn down, shot to pieces and
spat upon. American women are
outraged. American men are arrest
ed, imprisoned, tortured. murdered.
American property is looted, des-
troyed or carried off wholesale.
Is it any wonder that even the bet
ter elements of Mexicos population
have utmost contempt for Washing
| ton utterances and pretenses? Were
the European nations not SO busy
with their own affairs, We should be
ridiculed by every foreign newspaper.
We deserve it, for have we not fur
nished the arms and munitions with
which Americans are now being out
ragged and slaughtered? And why did
we do TITO give few American
arms manufacturers and dealers
good thing" and to overthrow n
Mexican against whom our executive
INDUCED a bigoted prejudice and
hate.
There are many grades of coward
ice, but political cowardice" is the
rock on which nations may go to
pieces. Other nations are suffering
in Mexico but are as helpless as are
American citizens there. because
Brazil. Argentine. Chile and others
await as they must, action by the U.
s.
If Elihu Root were Secretary of
State at this time the American peo-
pie might look to see prompt and con-
certed action on the part of the gov
ernments of North and South
America uncluding Canada) for the
protection Of foreign life and property
in Mexico.
How long must the American peo-
pie sit supinely while one outrage at
ter another is committed and ire
futable evidence given. before they
will arise and impress upon the dulled
consciousness Of the government that
"watchful waiting is forever dis
credited and must be abandoned?
We believe war is unnecessary to
protect foreigners in Mexico. A de-
tefmined and final presentation Of the
rights Of other nationalties in Mexico.
by the United States and several 9TH
er American powers interested. would
bring some Of the factional leaders to
their senses. Neither Villa, Zapata,
Carranza, or the several others would
permit such as the McManus murder