The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1915-07-18

If the United States should go to
war with Mexico, who would be the
greatest adversaries and antagonists
of the invaders?
Not the Mexican troops, but the
Yaqui Indians of Sonora, military
experts familiar in detail with the
Mexican situation declare.
Were this ancient tribe of savages
10 resent the entertainment of the
United States our troops would find
themselves opposed to the most
fendish and daring fighters a civ
ilized soldier or sailor ever encount-
cred.
The Yaquis hate Mexican soldiers
g worse than they do the Americans.
and this on one hand would be the
greatest aid to the troops of the
United States-namely obtaining the
cooperation of the deadly Yaquis.
Civilization has made rapid
strides in the western hemisphere.
but not one ray of its sunshine has
penetrated into the mountain fast
ness where the Yaqui raiders live
when they are not committing dep
relations on the white and Mexican
ranchers.
More savage and even more prim-
tive than the other Indians of North
destroyed long ago, they make their
living stealing cattle from ranchers.
Their primitive weapons, arrows
and spears were laid aside long ago
when with their first massacre of
Mexfcans and whites they seized
the rifles and other weapons of civ
ilization. The clothing of civiliza-
ton they have summed, but they fell
readily into the use of the rifle and
revolver. This is explained in his
tory by the fact that with dawn of
/ civilization man made his first adj
vancement not in the art of pottery
or in fashioning cooking utensils.
but in designing more clever and
more terrible instruments of war.
Those nations that advanced most
rapidly in ancient history were the
ones that first accomplished greater
success than their neighbors in the
manufacture of arms and latter
made a commensurate progress in
the construction of things necessary
FOR the household.
HOW THE
YAQUIS LIVE.
The Yaquis still live practically
nude, wearing only flap of leather
about the loins. Their life and GUS
toms while in camp, the nature of
their camp and other things Of close
familiarity with their lives can only
be surmised. AS the Yaquis always
are ready to engage in battle or be
on the retreat it is conceded they do
not occupy permanent homes. Pos
ees who have sought them in the
mountains believe they live either in
dugouts or caves. The meat they
steal from settlers is dried and
hn hof no
smoke of their campfire by day or
its glare at night might betray them.
being as strong In them as it was In
the savage tribes of the United
States. If they have any agricul-
tural pursuits they must be few and
only sufficient to supply them with
much needed grains. 1t is known
they raise maize and perhaps pota-
toes but their sole reliance for sup
plies is on their ability to steal.
Their cruelty is well known to
ranches in Mexico, families often be-
ing found hacked to death and their
cattle driven away, unfailing signs
of visit of these savage redmen.
On whether the Yaquis will be
friend or foe to United States troops
much would depend IN a conquest of
Mexico. With their aid the battle
their opposition it is conceded the
Rubjugation and restoration of Mex
leo would be task of many years.
Gen. Hugh l. Scott. that famous
tanner of Indians. would be sent in
to the field against the Yaquts.
United States army experts do not
give much credit to any of the Mex
lean fighting forces. They concede
the Mexicans as bold and daring but
give little credit to their ability. The
Mexican army works as regularly If
It were unionized. The troops start
out at definite hour each morning
and knock off" at shutdown in the
evening. Fighting at night not only
is unknown to them, but would be a
serious violation of their rules.
OBSERVE
UNION HOURS.
They go into battle as miner
might enter the tunnel of his daily
employment and they quit fighting
Just as regularly as the miner quits
his work when the day is done. Mex
lean troops, 1t is said, do most of
their fighting in the cool hours of
the morning. but ease up in the aft
ernoon and absolutely quit at night
by mutual agreement between the
two opposing forces.
The Mexican trooper Is a POOR
rifeman, the experts say, but is
maKni1cent MASTER of ammunition.