The Washington herald., 1916-07-11
SEEN AND HEARD
BY GEORGE MINER


in alp parts of the country as we'll as to what
sort ot country Mexico is to campaign IN
Isl 1T very hot? Is it very unhealthy! Is 1t
very dusty? Is it waterlcss? Is the high altitude
OF the interior distressing.
ISsese questions are asked over and again
by soldiers who likely to 60 there, by friends
of soldiers who have gone there and by people
who just curious
AS have been in all parts OF Mexico allow
me 10 say that it is a pretty thoroughly un-
pleasant country to campaign in. The valleys in
Mexico are fertile and pleasant and the climate
in the table lands really delightful
Bat you have got to get there first to
joy it.
Aad getting there is big job when
thereris going on and no army to inter-
fcre with your progress.
Oh the north there is a vast desert as blister
ing ,avld drcary and killing as any desert in the
world There streams to speak of the
surface. What flowing water is there runs most
ly underground. For hundreds Of miles the only
water have there is what you get by cut
hngsa giant cactus across and inspecting the hol-
low interior. You will generally find pint or
of pure, fresh water in it and surprising as it
may seem it is almost cool. Fortunately these
deserts dotted with cacu so that the water
question IS not a very serious for small
partys OF half dozen people. When it comes to
an army campaigning there it would be a very
different thing There not cacti enough in
the whole Coahuala desert to quench the thirst
OF orc regiment for day. Cacti and dwarf
mcsqTitc bushes about the only things that
grow on the deserts. They arc both thoroughly
unpleasant things to into. One pricks and
stings, and the other scratches and wounds. Take
your. icholcC. No, you don't take your choice
have no choice. You get them both
They about the only vegetable things that
grow Other things do grow there, but they arc
in the animal kingdom They consist OF in
hume Fable lizards and scorpions and a great
many troublesome insects, including the dread
ed g5Eapatcs, or jiggcrs wherever there is any
grass, or weeds These garapatcs are of the
wood fuCk family, only moro vicious They are
very small, but il you get you will prob
ably lgct hundreds and each one borcs his head
underFthc skin and keeps boring until he is dug
out f'sh knife The irritation and inflamma-
ton set the victim almost frantic They ire
quontE kill cattle and men have been known to
diC f~nm their effects.
TIE rest OF the scenery is brown sand plenty
OF aIkah' which makes your eyes smart and
your lips crack. and pulycrized lava stone.
These deserts are away up in the air, any
where' from three to six hundred feet high. so
that the air is very thin. At first this thin
air is' hard to get with. You breathe last
and get out OF breath very easily Rapid
exercise is very exhaustinG. 1t gives many
people headaches and any one with heart
troubje is in grave danger
Oftcourse when the sun shines it is very hot
on acCOunt of the thin air and equally of course
at night it is cold The change is sudden and
trying You scorch in the daytime and freeze at
night For hour or so in the morning the
climate is very pleasant The air is bright cool
and balmy. Then is the time to store up cncrqv
for the rest OF the day.
Oficoursc all Northern Mexico is not desert
Thcres arc lots Of grim and terrible mountains
there, tycry steep and impossible Wav over in
Sonora there arc mountain ranges that have never
been mapped even. Also there arc many wide
stretches OF miles and miles of beautiful farming
lands. but the desert has to be crossed and
can assure any National Guardsnan that it will
be very trying country to campaign in, cspc-
c1ally hn the summer months
! Along either coast it is hot and very unhcalthv
Vera Cruz is as bad any place During the
American occupation it was made fairly livablc
becaus" they set to work vigorously to drive
away yellow fever and other diseases that were
prevail =nt. As soon as the American troons left
condlt Ions reverted to the old state again in short
order. McN'canS don't know how to fight disease
and | don't think they ever really trv Thev
arc facalstS in that respect The American SOL
d''rs were there in winter time too and that
made It easier
When | was in Vera Cruz last March, yellow
lever Mas rampant there and black smallpox was
all oWH the place. In summertime the Mexican
coast, especially as far south as Vera Cruz, is
SteaminEly hot 1t will take the starch out Of
any Northencr in hour Debilitatinc does not
hat express it Its no place for a white man.
WhGc Mexico City has delightful climate
al thei year round there is lot OF very un-
peaSarf climate to be endured before you get to
it, ofmattcr from which direction Won annroach
SOL say Mexico is perfectly rotten coun-
try TO campaign in
Plight of Congress
Sen;Stor Kern, after conversation with the
EresICs that Co-,c--.a--------. -.-.-.-i