The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1916-05-18
CONDITIONS IN MEXICO

States.
Chihuahua Conditions Different
The conditions in Chihuahua. where
our army is operating, are vastly diff
ferent from those other parts of Mexi-
co where the Carranza forces are
stronger and where they are able to
police the country with reasonable
effectiveness IN justice to the Car
rama government, it might also be
contended that they have had a sem
blance of sway in the northern state
for only few months. Before that
| it was the domain of Villa. and
thousands of the ignorant natives
!; there today recognize his name as
the only symbol of military author
ity. The fact remains, however, that
all the opposition to the expedition,
on more than one occasion costing
| american lives, has come either from
Carranza soldiers or a lawless ele-
ment which the meager Carranza sol
diery in the state so far have been un-
able to suppress or control. Out of
the uncertainty which has characteriz-
ed the expedition with tied hands and
feet, one story-whether all or part
truth only Washington can say-looms
persistently from the veil of mystery
1t concerns the cause of Villas ap-
pearance on the border preceding the
Columbus massacre and is told by
/ 49,
to show a vacillating policy which has
prevailed in the Mexican muddle from
the first
Knew Raid Was to Come OFF.
1t is well known that persons in
the United States interested in ex-
plotting Villa as picturesque or
political character knew of his expect
ed arrival and were in Columbus sew
eral days before the raid, waiting for
him. The story is that they were
ready to pay his expenses to Wash
ington on the understanding that he
would be granted an audience there.
| When Villa reached the border it is
said the final word came that he
would not be received Villa, when
a soldier for Carranza. had been
Handed as heroic patriot by maudlin
sentimentalists in the United States
and this story continued that on
March s the bandit chief started to
lead his followers southwark again.
The hungry horde mutinied and his
aids accused him Of being weakened
He gave them free hand and they at.
tackled the town. Whether or not the
prelude is correct. it is certain villa
after that never stopped running and
has not carried out any more threats
to kill Americans
Brigandaee is common in the state
Of chihuahua. It has been so for
years. An American woman, wife of
a Mormon, who has lived all her
thirty years in Mexico. said that her
first memories were OF bandits sweep
ing down from the almost inaccessi.
BILE mountains to steal the corps and
drive off the stock of the Industrious
residents Of the ulains.
| -NfANiN9 ~ ~
The bandits sdll are in the noun
tains, only in the last few years they
have done their looting as soldiers
under the colors of some leader. Rod
riguez, Gutierrez, Salazar, Lopez. Aeos
"a, Villa and long list of others. To
the thrifty settlers Cerranza's troops
are just as costly. The only differ
enee) is that when they appropriate
they say lin the name of the govern.
ment" Payment is lacking.
villa was bad and took everything
he wanted. but he did not tolerate
any other bandits and killed off plenty
of others just as bad as he. For that
we can be thankful" said one Ameri-
can settler.
| Whether the Carranza forces can
suppress the outlaws is a question.
Whether Carranza can enforce disci-
pline and stop the looting of the coun.
tryside by his own officers and soldi-
ers is the next question. American
army officers give discouraging neg
latiye answer to both questions. They
say that peace never can come and
prosperity cannot be restored to the
ravished country unless our army is
permitted to remain in and make a
thorough job of it. At present the
plains are cleared of the thousands of
horses and cattle which once roam
ed there, windmills are broken and
water holes are dry. fertile fields are
uncultivated and the population of