New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-09-05
WILSON TO STUDY
REFUGEES WOES
Learns of PrivatiOnS Of
Americans Who Crossed
Mexican Border.

Washington, Sept. 4.-Reports Of the
suferings of American refugees who
fled fiom Mexico at the behest Of the
State Department have caused Presi-
I dent Wilson to order an investigation
to determine what can be done for
their relief. The Tribune learned to-
day that Senator Sheppard, Of Texas,
had brought an appalling record of prl-
vations and misery to Mr.. Wilson's at
| tention.
The War and Labor departments are
already at work devising relief meas
ures, and it is probable that the Red
Cross will be asked to raise a special
fund to aid these sufferers.
The report which won Mr.. Wilson's
sympathy recited one hundred and
twenty distinct cases Of suffering di-
rectly traceable, it is held, to the re-
fusal of the State Department to pro-
tect the rights of Americans in Mexico
These cases represent only small
fraction of those that have passed
through one border consulate-that at
Laredo, Tex. As many as one hundred
and eight cases have been handled
there in one day. The investigation
was made by Mrs. Alice Mckay Kelley,
and copy of the findings has been
submitted to Miss Anne Morgan, chair
man of the National Patriotic League
Of New York.
Thousands Become Dependent.
Thousands of refugees have crossed
into the United States and become de-
pendent on relatives. friends or public
charities. Others preceded them on
other occasions when the State Depart
ment sent forth its warning that
Americans remained in Mexico at their
own risk.
One pitiable case cited is that Of W.
r. Derr and his wife, both more than
seventy years of age, who arrived at
Laredo from Chamal, Tamaulipas, on
August IL utterly exhausted, after
tramping forty miles through a knee
deep bog and a two-day railroad jour
ney. They were almost starved and
nearly naked, Mrs. Derr having nothing
but Mexican sandals. a ragged calico
wrapper and sunbonnet A hospital
was the only proper place for them,
but they were forwarded Immediately
without investigation to Alex, Okla.
Private charity provided Mrs. Derr with
the clothing a wealthy and "humani-
tartan government" could not supply.
W. B. Frazier, sixty-two years old,
arrived at Laredo on August II with a
/ family of nine children, penniless and
possessed only of the rags IN which
thew stood. After Undesirable mis-
cries. in which all had been reduced to
the minimum of physical resistance.
Mr.. Frazier had been beaten by bandits
with belt flied with cartridges. with
his four elder children he was shipped
! TO Osceola, Tex, to try TO find work IN
the cotton fields. Mrs. Frazier, with
the FIVE little ones, was shipped TO
Riley, Tex, where it was hoped sister
in moderate circumstances would be
able to provide for them. Her ability
to do so was not investigated.
Consul Aids Miner.
J.J. De Witt, miner Of Lampasas,
came to Laredo about July ! with his
family of nine. On August 16 he re-
ported he had been unable to earn
money and was expecting TO be turned
into the street. Mr.. De Witt had been
long known to Consul Garrett as an
active, enterprising worker, and he
opened his private purse for the pro-
vision of assistance he was unable TO
grant officially.
Mrs. Walter Hit, arriving from
Chamal on July "a, had been robbed OF
all her possessions. Her large family
of small children was in the most
pitiable condition, half starved and
clothed in rags. They were forwarded
to Midland, Tex, and on August is
were reported in most acute need
I Similar stories could be told of each
of the one hundred and twenty families
I in the list submitted to President Will
son, and their numbers might be null
tiplied indefinitely from the consular
/ records. Border consuls estimate that
/ from three to five thousand families
! have been scattered about the country
/ in this manner in the last few months,
and there are still several hundreds to
| be brought out.
Congress, which appropriated recent
! Is 900 for the relief Of dependent
/ families of National Guardsmen and
/ s5O0,O 900 for Carolina food sufferers,
/ also appropriated some time ago $780,
/ 600 for Mexican refugees, sum totally
! inadequate. considering their numbers
/ and necessities. Under the ruling of
: the State Department none of this
money can be applied for other than
! the purchase Of transportation and
bare subsistence for the people en-