Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-05-10
WILSON AFRAID
OF MEXICO SAY
BORDER PEOPLE
Letter TO Millersburg Attorney
Describes Result as "Watch-
full Waiting"
TROOPS CAN'T PROTECT
Government Treats American
Investors Below Rio Grande
as Liars and Rogues

While news dispatches daily tell of
the painstaking pursuit of Pancho
Villa by Uncle Sans troopers, some
curious but interesting stories of what
is really going on beyond the mys-
terious Sierra Madre filter back across
the border in personal letters and tele-
grams.
Just such a letter was received the
other day by Attorney H. L. Lark, Mil
lersburg, a well-known member of the
Dauphin county bar and counsel and
part shareholder in big mining and
ranching syndicate which has millions
tied up in the troublous country below
the Rio Grande.
Here's an excerpt:
Our troops will be out of Mexico
by July 1 with nothing accom-
pliShed but to convince the Mex
leans that the Washington gov
srnment is afraid of them-which
S the truth. Can see no hope of
my kind of business in Mexico
mlcsS Roosevelt is nominated by
.he Republicans. i believe il is to
he Roosevelt or Hughes, but 1 am
afraid of Hughes, as he is OF the
Taft-Wilson class of men.
Mexicans-Always
And here's another:
In Mexico there are no such
things as "Villistas'' or "Carran-
Zaistas" when dealing with Ameri-
CANS.
The letter was written by one of the
officials of the big syndicate in report
ing the attack by some of the Villa
bandits upon one Ignacio, a Mexican
Indian ranchero who had sole charge
OF ranch far out in the enemys
country.
The bandits robbed the ranchero of
everything he had-even to his hat
and shoes. Everything had been done
, for the victim wrote the ranch man.
ager, that could be done"
MIR. CaTTanZa'S Feelings
1T is awfully hard" goes on the
letter to Mr.. Lark, ito explain the
Mexican conditions TO the eastern man
who still believes something in the
Washington government. Our troops
in Mexico can't protect American prop
crty, as it might hurt the feelings of
Carranza. This isn't a joke-but a
fact. Army orders are very plain on
the subject. -
The present conditions in Mexico
will last as long as VIC have this class
of government now existing i'm WASH
ington. According to Wilson, anyone
who ever invested dollar in Mexico is
liar or a rogue.
THE new mining tax Of Carranza
means that not one mine in ten can
operate; an increase of 100 to 5000 per
cent. has been taxed upon mining
levied on gross output. Very few
miners in Mexico ever made a 10 per
cent. profit on gross output even for
themselves.
= The Answer
"All these things have been laid
again and again before Lansing, Will
son and Bryan, but of course the
answer always is We're sorry, but
we can do nothing!'"
The name of the writer Attorney
Lark preferred to withhold. IF that
ever got down there, the chances are
that the writer would be made to
suffer-" said he.
Mr.. Lark has only recently returned
from the country beyond the Rio
Grande and he tells an interesting
story of the land of Villa -Carranza-
a-Madero-Diaz. He was in the
hotel In FL Paso, Texas in which Ben
son, the English ranch owner, had his
last confab with some friends prior to
the fatal trip over the border to confer
with Villa about returning some stolen
cattle. The conferees were friends of
Mr. Lark.
The Last Journey
Friends told Mr. Benson" said Mr..
Lark, that he'd better not go over;
that if he did, he wouldn't come back.
And he never did. Villa drew his gun,
and following the usual custom of
Mexlcans, he emptied his revolver into
lilt y bOUS-dIIllnR at mis-
stomach and filling him full of holes
from waistline to throat"
Attorney Lark exhibited a silver dol
lar of the kind that Villa made for
circulation. The coin is an alloy of
pure silver and some gold and is easily
Worth a dollar in American money.
Villa on a Motor Tour?
In the Millersburg attorneys
opinion. Villa is mot getable" by
American troops.
why. 1 really don't believe he's in
Mexico at ALL" said Mr.. Lark. villa
has unlimited means; the whole coun-
tryside thereabouts is in sympathy
with him: he's got splendid travelling
conveniences; he owns some of the
latest type automobiles. And when
he heard that troops were searching
for him 7 think he Just took a nice
long automobile trip. In my opinion,
Villa isn't in Mexico at all; he's in
Lower California"