The Washington herald., 1916-04-28
SEEN AND HEARD
BY GEORGE MINER
Special Correspondent. of The Washington Herald
tcopyrisht. Mcclure Newspaper syndieatel

New York, April 27.-An unpleasant and
disquieting rumor has come up from the
Mexican border and Is being circulated
freely around New York although / have
seen nothing yet concerning II in the
newspapers. / heard IL talked over in
two hotel Hobbies yesterday afternoon
and. as is the case with most rumors,
the speakers seemed to accept it as fact.
Mr.. Edward Fay. who has recently ar
rived In New York from FL Paso, tells
me that the rumor is current along the
border and that the people down there
attribute to government censorship the
fact that nothing has appeared about II
in the dispatches.
The rumor is that the United States
army officers had warning of the Column
bus raid but would not heed IT, The
rumor further goes into details to the
effect that man who was a close friend
OF villa was with him the day before the
massacre and learned OF the bandits
plans to attack the American town.
This man, 1t is alleged was an Ameri-
can, and as soon as it was practical for
him to do so he called up the command
ing officer at an American army post and
told him over the telephone what he
had learned
The officer, IT is said, sneered at the
information and treated the whole idea
with contempt, remarking that warnings
OF that nature were getting to be very
tiresome as he received them every day.
And then he hung up the receiver before
the informer could give any verihcation
of his statements. The name of the
officer is mentioned. but naturally it
would be improper to repeat it unless
the rumor is investigated and names are
brought out officially. Such an investiga-
tion Is sure TO be made, IL It Is not al
ready under way, and the. truth or
falsity of the rumor will then be brought
out. Of course the officer is one of high
rank and not a subordinate. which
makes 1t all the worse II the story is true.
Mr.. Fay says the feeling is quite
acute along the border and there is a
general belief that the massacre could
have been prevented by ordinary dill
gence and watchfulness. This is a Sc
rious reflection on the capabilities
and competence of army officers and
should promptly be disproved IL it is
untrue.
snubbinE Civilians.
A good deal of stress was laid on
the discourtesy of the officer in slam
ming up the telephone receiver and
snubbing his would-be informer by
not letting him finish. / have heard
number of complaints in one place
or another of late years of this same
sort OF thing-thRt is, that army Off
GERS are inclined to treat civilians in
a rather cavalier manner whenever
the latter attempt to give them any
information or suggestion. The Off
GERS seem to consider the civilians as
butting in and interfering with mat
ters that don't concern them.
Since 1 returned 10 New York, 1
have been asked many times how II is
that Zapata is able to get ammuni-
tion for his soldiers and supplies in
general for the people in the states
over which he has control and which
Carranza has not yet been able to
subdue.
It's very simple matter. Nobody
can tell Zapatista from a Carran-
zista. They all dress alike and are
equally dirty and repellent. There is
nothing in the world to prevent Zapa-
ia bandits in the guise of innocent
farmers from coming in and going
out of Mexico City Or-any other town
as they please. That they do it and