Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1916-10-23
Order Suspending Constitu-
tional Guarantees Tells Of
Murder, Robbery and
Crimes Rampant.
PEOPLE FLEE TO CITIES
Prevalence of Raids Causes In
habitants to Leave Country
Districts and Towns.
OUTLINED TO MEDIAToRs

Atlantic, City, N. J., Oct. 22-Gen-
eral Carranza's decree of October 9,
suspending constitutional guarantees
throughout Mexico, as translated and
laid before the American representa-
tives on the Mexican joint commits
sion today, provides that for nearly
all offenses not covered by the civil
code, summary punishment may be
inflicted by the military authorities.
Interference with railway traffic,
robbery, incendiarism and assault in
its various forms are characterized
as crimes punishable by death with
out the formality of trial when the
evidence is apparent. In no case has
the accused the right to appeal.
Preamble Of Decree.
The preamble Of the decree, which
sets forth the reasons for the sus-
pension of the guarantees and which
was of special interest to the Ameri-
can commissioners, follows:
Whereas, brigandage has devcl-
oped IN the country, as an inevitable
consequence of public upheavals
which have taken place during re-
cent years, produced by the struggle
which 1t was necessary to carry out:
First, to overthrow the power which
had usurped the government of the
republic and later to suppress the in
subordination OF the division of the
north, and to exterminate the horde
which had invaded the state of
Morelos.
Purpose Of Bands.
Whereas, the armed bands which
still remain in various parts OF the
republic, remnants Of civil war, no
longer have any political significance,
standard or pretext which can Justify
then in their looting expeditions and
raids, since it is the sole purpose of
such bands to attack villages and
hamlets with the object of sacking
them, Of committing outrages and as
sassinations, or to shoot up, attack
or dynamite moving trains for the
purpose, of robbing the. cars, or -burp-,.
ing bridges, stations, warehouses and
so forth, or to tear up the tracks or
destroy the telegraph and telephone
lines OF federated companies and corr
porations.
Railroad Traffic Hindered.
whereas, railroad traffic is
hindered in this way on many occa-
sions, \or is rendered uncertain since,
although the government takes the
greatest care to protect the running
of trains and to give all possible
protection to travellers, it is impos-
sible to avoid these criminalities be-
cause of the large number OF railway
lines and the facilities with which
the material factories elude the re-
pressive action OF the authorities, as
much because of the great extent of
the national territory as because OF
its broken character and because of
the protection which these bands fre-
quently find among the rural popu-
lation, which is due particularly to
the fear inspired by them.
Brings Insecurity.
Whereas, brigandage in all its
forms has brought insecurity in the
country districts, forcing the inhab-
itants of haciendias, ranches, ham,
let's and other small communities to
leave them and seek personal safety
in the large centers of population,
which is notably injurious to agricul-
ture, commerce and other sources Of
national wealth, and since the conse-
quences of the evil we have been dis
cussing have appeared recently
even in the principal cities, for
even in the capital itself persons who
were walking the streets have been
attacked at night; suburban trains
have been held up and the passengers
robbed; burglaries accompanied by
violence have been of frequent occur-
renee in private residences; all of
which has greatly alarmed the peo-
pie, so that it is an urgent necessity
that such serious state of affairs
be put an end to by all extreme meas
ure which may be efficacious
in this instance, and which, in fact,
had excellent results in analogous
circumstances in other periods of the
nations history, as was the case after
the three years war in the time of
President Bonito Juarez
Application of Death Doom.
Whereas, measuresN of this kind
always have consisted in the appli-
cation of the death penalty to all Of
tenders taken in flagrante delicate Or
whose will is sufficiently proven.
Whereas, the extraordinary proyi-
sions of this law are also applicable
Continued on Page Two. Column six.)