Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1916-08-24
Corn and Beans, Not Powder
and Shot, Needed There,
BOYS FIGHTING TO LIVE.
Noted Playwright Describes Condi-
tions on the Border as He Found
Ther-Great MeIodrama In Process
With a Stage Hundreds of Miles
Long and the Sky a Curtain.

! George Scarborough, the noted play
tons in Mexico:
81 came down here to witness the
! great melodrama now being staged
along the border.
1.-The stage is hundreds of miles
across. The curtain is the sky. Camp
fires serve as footlights, and armed
sentries take the place of prompters.
The difficulty is in deciding on
which side Of Il winding river and
an imaginary line acros dusty plains
is back stage and which is front and
on which side of the line and river is
the audience and which the players.
"Anyhow. it's a good show-melo-
drama i'll the land OF melodrama-red
blood, brave men and the proverbial-
ly beautiful women, distressed and
otherwise. pistols, swords and uni
forms and uncertainty. We who write
for the footlights know uncertainty as
suspense and strive to create it. Down
here it is self created and everybody is
trying to get away from it.
"From the time l crossed the inter
national bridge until l r~ecrossed and
heard an American soldier laugh a.
some joke of his comrade guard 1
heard no laugh. The sound Of an OF:
burst Of hearty laughter on the Juarez
plaza would probably cause more Goa
sternation than a volley Of rifle shots.
Shots there are frequent, and laughs
are fewer than few.
Mere Boys as Soldiers.
LAS we rode about i saw many
squads of soldiers oddly uniformed
long on ammunition for the Mausers,
but apparently short on ammunition
for their stomachs. Many Of these SOL
diers were boys not yet into their
teens, hardy strong enough to lift their
rifles, much less to level them at an
enemy. They ought to issue two boys
to one rifle.
81 saw hundreds of sullen faced,
shifty eyed men standing around in
little groups. Their faces spoke elo-
quently of hunger.
Il saw hundreds Of women whose
faces also told Of hunger. There were
expressions about their eyes which
made me think they were hungrier
than the men. Maybe that is because
in Mexico the men eat first and the
women get what is left. If nothing
happens to he left the women don't get
much.
Il saw also hundreds of children who
looked hungrier than the m The
expression of a hungry child waiting
to be fed is keen enough, but the ex-
preston of Il hungry child who knows
he probably will not be fed is pathetic.
"Mentally l passed up melodrama
and comedy. | had seen something of
the tragedy of Mexico and wanted to
see more. | wanted to take a look into
one of those tiny adobe and thatch
homes and have a little talk with it's
occupants.
My interpreter, ably assisted by an
American silver dollar, gained entrance
for me into q squalid adobe hut less
than 200 yards across the river. 1t
was occupied by a woman, four chill
dren, two dogs and various smaller
animate things.
THE roof of the house was thatched
and the only fresh air came in through
Il small window and without pausing
Immediately rushed out through the
small door. A few rags and some
straw in the corner were identified as
the family bed, and a little corn and
beans on a platter, eyed longingly by
the two elder children, was identified
as the family dinner. It had been well
cooked over Il little fire on the floor and
was waiting for the return of the head
OF the house. Presently he came, and
it took many Spanish words from the
interpreter and another silver dollar
from me to convince him that our mis-
sion was innocent, w%hereupon the head
OF the house squatted on the floor and
ate the corn and beans.
THE children sat in the corner and
watched him eat with eyes still long
ing. The woman rolled a cigarette and
passed it to her husband when there
were no more corn and beans. He
lighted it, rubbed his stomach, COM
menced to hum a Mexican tune and
doZed off to sleep.
1.-The woman spoke a few words to
the children, which the interpreter said
was a promise to them that on the
morrow she and they would have som
corn n beans purchased with a part
Of the silver dollars.
Tempted to interrupt.
1.-The head of the house dozed on. I
was tempted to interrupt his slumbers,
but recalled what 1 had been advised
about bad breaks in Juarez and went
out to find the soldier. He was seated
on the curb, if there had been a side
walk. His rifle was on the ground by
his side. He was crying.
"The lad had lived down in some in
terror town. Everything had been TAX
en- away by the raiders of different
generals, and he was hungry, and
when n particular gentleman came
along and promised him fame and loot
and food he became Il soldier. He was
not fighting for his country: he was
only fighting to live"