The Washington herald., 1916-11-11
Seen and Heard by George Miner.

SCeu oAAs AASoiu w 0CUfSc NuiCis
New York. Nov. Io.-It is the iavorite axiom Of
the anti-suffragists that ballots and bullets go
together and that as long as women do not fight
they should not vote. Be that as may, and with
out entering into the merits of the suragist cause
in the least, It is interesting to note that women
do fight. In the last few years there have been
a number OF notable examples of it. Not only in
Europe where large number of women have
taken up arms in defense of their countries, but
also at home in neighboring republic Of
Mexico
Mexican women do fight and with valor quite
equal to that of the men. The revolution of the
past three years has demonstrated this repeatedly,
for not little of the success of the revolution,
especially in the early days, was due to the su-
perior fighting qualities of the Mexican weaker
sex Not only do they fight we'll they have
proved time and again, but also they have shown
the ability to withstand all the varied hardships
incident to a campaign in a region that is mostly
desert.
When Carranza gathered his handful of men
to overthrow Huerta, women and even children
focked to his standard. Some of the children
were no more than II and IL years Of age. There
were women who were gray-haired and others in
the first flush of womanhood. OF arms and mu-
ntions there were also none and every individual
who possessed weapon of any kind and knew
how to pull a trigger welcome regardless of
age sex or social conditions. Every old weapon,
even fintlocks, was oiled up and pressed into
service.
At Matamoras, in the first notable engagement
early in the revolution, not little of the success
of the constitutonalists was due to the heroic
bravery of woman standard bearer. who, with
flag in one hand and rife in the other, led charge
( ISoIo lie ,h1
were entrenched in an adobe house behind thick
WALL and put them to rout.
There were battalons in this Carranza army
made up entirely of women, many of whom had
lost their husbands at the hands of Federals or
had suffered ndescrbable wrongs in other ways.
The recklessness and bravery of the women
fighters soon became noticed throughout the army
and woe betide the Federal or that much -despised
creature, "the Colorado" who was so unfortunate
as to meet those Amazonian fighters. The fate
Of the Colorados was swift and sure. No quarter
was the universal custom.
One of the bravest little women who ever
handled rife was the widow of an officer who
had been murdered by Ojeda's Federals. After
fighting for a while in the ranks she put in
charge of the hospital at Naco. During the long
continued contest there between Gen. Hills be-
leagured forces and the Yaqui Indians, most Of
the fighting was done at night and it was the Gus
tim of the attacking Indians to carry their
wounded away before daylight to prevent their
falling into the hands of the enemy. On one oc-
casion they overlooked four badly wounded men
and these were carried by Gen Hills soldiers to
the hospital presided over by Sonora Dolores La
cruz Realizing their peril, she had them placed
in a separate room, their wounds dressed and
their presence kept secret so far as possible.
A few hours later, however, petty officer with
squad of soldiers, entered the building, having
in some way heard of the presence Of the wounded
Yaquis. They were met by Sonora Lacruz and
their errand demanded She refused to give up
the wounded men and the soldiers started to
enter the room in which they were, she picked
up Mauser rife, pumped a cartridge into the
breech, cooked the weapon and placed the muzzle
within foot of the officers heart.
you can take my wounded men if you wish, /"
said she "but it will be over my dead body and
over yours as we'll If you give an order to in
terfere or if you make a motion to touch me-
shall FIRE"
This plucky little woman, who was only
five feet high, gazed up uninchingly into the face
of the stalwart and amazed officer. She followed
up her threat by literally driving him and his
squad out of the hospital at the muzzle of her
rife and able shortly afterward to send the
wounded Yaquis across the line and under Ameri-
can protection.
This is the sort of stuff that many Mexican
women are made of.