The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-01-04
SAYS TYPHUS Is AS
BAD IN MEXICO AS
SERBIA'S PLAGUE
New York Business Man Re-
ports as High as $4,000
Cases In Capital.
ENTIRE VILLAGES
ARE DEPOPuLATED

- I'lh's W uiiy aS Nv t''pSi-
.'ous rs in Serbia. IL prevalent In Mex
ico city and unless checked will 20 down
a. one ~ the great plaques Of history.
This ~ the statement a by n New
York business man just returned from
Mexico city. His name cannot he given
as he wishes to return.
The Carranza Government has sup
pressed the facts as much AZ possible.
bu, an outline OF tho real situation 10
gwen by the New York business man
as follows
Less han a month ago American
ply sicians in the hospitals Of Mexico
city estimated that there were more than
~. 600 to so. 600 cases of typlius In Me-
leo city alone. SO widespread was tho
plague. which is communicated by vet-
min. that II was considered unsafe to
brush the passerby's sleeve in the
street. II was deemed equally danger
ous.to sit down on a park bench. Tho
many dcad were buried at night as
secretly as possible.
"In the city OF ruebla there wero
1900 deaths from typhus in one week
recently. In Tachuca the disease was 30
endemic that the officers Of the United
states Smelling and Refining Company
persuaded the city government to let IL
take over the health work of the placs.
There had been $500 new cases OF
typhus In one week.
THE smelling ~conpauy's men at once
set TO work shaving men II cropping
their heads. Clothing was burned and
houses were disinfected. II is not known
what success the effort to cope with the
plague has had in Tachuca.
IN the province of Oaxaca whole VIII
lagos have been depopulated. Tie New
cans. 1t is said. are not making adj
quate efforts TO deal with the epidemic.
Last month the carranza Government
issued a statement saying that there
UNs no typhus in Mexico city. although
Z Is declared there were thousands OF
ases then lying about everywhere. On
december u. or December Is. these
same C~arranza officials held II confer
c'.ce in Mexico city with Mexican doc
tors 10 try to devise methods of check
Ing the spread of typhus.
American Doctors Ignored.
american doctors were not asked TO
~ conference. The American Red
"ross is unable TO do anything. though
partly cognizant OF the effects. because
eve Carranzaistas forced the American
Organization out OF Mexico. organizing
Nhs, they called IA Mexican Red Cross
~ is place and saying that they
needed no outside help.
Havana and Nassau are auaran-
''r"d for yellow fever against all OF
NcN,co north ~ Sucatan-practically
'hc whole" OF tho country. Yet there
o. not much evidence OF yellow fever
N Mexico compared with the appalling
evidence Of typhus on every hand. Ia
vant is also Guaranteed for smallpox
against Vera cruz.
The facts are successfully depressed
~ the Carrlnzs Government, which
"NeicIse> - completely effective censor
s''n Letters are regularly opened.
News onvey ed personally ont OF the
lun'ry insures the non-return of the
bearer. for 1t is almost always traced.
Private letters to this country. bits OF
which nave been repeated or made pull
re. have in more than one instance
'auscd the writer to he run out OF
Mexico without ceremony or explana-
,'on.
The last newspaper printed in
Mexico. the Mexican Herald. was sud-
dsnly suppressed some time ago. No
explanation was given and the editor.
Paul Hudson, appealed TO the State De-
nartment at Washington to find out the
reason. The State Department invest.
gated a little bit, but let the matter
drop.
These things. however. are TO he en-
pec,ed of "A military despotism. which
= the form Of government maintained
by carrarza. But trouble arises from
re fact that Carranza Is still only one
o' the military despots OF Mexico.
Emiliano Zapata. the Morelos rebel and
bandit, is nov the sole ruler OF about
"He-tifth OF Mexico. Resides Morelos. |
n" has much ~ the surrounding country
under his absolute control.
Z~apata's Government.
Tn his Kingdom Zapata has as well
organized a government as Carranza !
That Is 10 say there are soldiers every
Nncrc. there Is a complete system OF
'o'ndge tpaper money. OF course), there
are duties, imposts. officials OF all ranks. |
stamps. &c.
In the province of Oaxaca the chief |
'a'n Aguilar has set up and maintains /
exactly as complete and effective n gov
"'7m"nt as Carranza's and Zapata's.
Agn!ltr's system of coinage Is especially
complete and well rounded. There are
% peso notes, 20 peso notes. 10 peso
notes and lower denominations.
For months there have been almost |
daily battles within three miles OF Mexico
city between the forces of Carranza and