The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1915-04-09
SHORTAGE OF FOOD
MEXICO'S PROBLEM
A SERIOUS SITUATION Is NOW
BEING FORMED AS A RE-
SUIT OF LONG WAR.
SITUATION ON the BORDER
Carranza Fighters in Trenches at
Matamoros Keep UP Constant
Fire Against Villa Outposts.
Big Battle Soon,

Washington. 49, The United States
government has renewed its repre-
sensations to General Carranza to OBJ
tain respect for foreign flags recently
violated at ManzanilIo, asking that he
instruct his officers there to afford
protection to foreigners and their in
teTests.
In the first note sent to General
Carranza a consular report was trans
mitted, stating that the British and
American flags had been violated by
lawless Carranza troops.
A separate communication was sent
to General Carranza Saturday, calling
his attention to the indiscriminate
firing by his troops on the oil tanks
in the vicinity Of Tampico, 100000
barrels of oil already having been lost
as result Of perfOrations made by
bullets penetrating the oil tanks.
A statement from the American
colony at the City of Mexico, in
which it was declared that the situa-
ton was more chaotic and helpless
than ever" was brought to the border
Saturday by Arthur Billiard Johnson,
a delegate representing Jointly the
1000 Americans and the international
committee of the capital district, the
latter composed of seventeen differ
ent nationalties aggregating more
than 10000 persons. Mr.. Johnson is
on his way east to take up the matter
with public men.
There was intermittent rifle firing
all day Saturday from the Carranza
trenches in Matamoros, Mexico, at
Villa outposts. Major General Fun
ston and party of American army Of
ficers witnessed part of this firing
from the American bank Of the river
about $50 yards from the western end
of the Carranza trenches, which were
filled with men. The shooting appar-
emily was without effect.
A report predicting that Mexico
faces a serious situation respecting
her food supplies has been made by q
committee Of Americans and other
foreigners at Mexico City who have
been investigating the situation.
Brownsville, Texan aeroplane
and prospective river gunboat have
entered the already somewhat compli-
Gated situation at Brownsville In con-
nection with the impending attack on
Matamoros. The aeroplane, after fly.
ing to the Villa camp outside Mata-
moros, broke a wheel, and is now In
two sections, one large piece in the
attacking Villa camp and one small
piece on American soil, fully repaired
but not permitted to re-enter Mexico
on account of customs regulations.
Furthermore, the machine is minus
an aviator. H, M. Rinehart of Day
ton, Ohio, an American demonstration
for the Villa aviation corps, who flew
the machine to Brownsville from
Monterey, left for the North Friday,
following a difficulty over financial
arrangements. The Villa officers are
now trying to hire another American
aviator.
The Carranza authorities in Mata-
moros began negotiations Thursday to
buy fast motor boat, announcing
they intended to arm her with ma
chine gun and prevent Villa troops
from ferrying supplies across the Rio
Grande above Brownsville. The Villa
soldiers have been obtaining both
food and ammunition IN the American
side.
Major General Frederick Funston
Thursday inspected this Villa ferry.
Washington.-An official statement
by the Villa-Zapata convention gov
eminent In the City OF Mexico, re-
eeived Thursday by the state depart
ment, charged that Carranza officials
during their occupancy of the capital
removed from the national treasury
government bonds and other securi-
ties valued at 100000 pesos.
The missing securities are said to
include: Three per cent bonds o. the
interior consolidated debt, per cent
bonds of interior redeemable debt, 5
per cent bonds of the Mexican foreign
debt Of 1899 and 1904, shares of FL
impartial, shares of Ell Indepen-
deiente, certificates issued by the mu.
nicipal council of Puebla, certificates
representing mortgage debt of the
Compania de San Gabriel Anexas,
documents which represent shares OF
the Compania Industrial de Tepeji, 8
per cent mortgage bonds of the Com.
pania Agricol de Rio Bravo, shares
of the Pachuca Light, Power and
Tramway Company; shares of the
Compania Maderera de Durango, bonds
of the Vera Cruz Terminal Company
coupons of bonds of the Vera Cruz
Terminal Company.
s30,ooo,ooo for Rivers and Harbors.