El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-05-23
MEXICANS FLEE IN FEAR FROM
HOMES AS j. s. FORCES LEAVE
Natives Are Afraid the Bandits Will Modest Them for
Having Sold Food to American Army During It's Stay
in Mexico Changing Base for Army Under Per
shing Is Occasion for Sorrow by Natives
by GEORGE II. CLEMENTS

IL ELEMENTS.
I there Tor the use Of the army when
loaded. the trains We're started upon
I their way toward the new base. to-
ward which the troops Of all branches
mad been marching. each truck in ad-
dltion 10 its load of freight. carrying
ITS quota Of armed men VINO We're 10
ne depended upon to defend il if. by
on its way
When the last box, bale or barrel
winch the trucks could carry had been
loaded and the last truck had been
moved TO It's place in the long line.
the small army Of cavalrymen who
were TO act as the rear guard. COM
pleted the thorough policing of the
abandoned camp site. which had begun
Is soon as the outward movement be-
gan, Dy building great fire upon
which was thrown everything com
busuble which could not be carried
away on the backs Of men or horses
or on the trucks and wagons making
up the baggage trains, or which could
not ron away under the impulse of
animal locomOtion
Natives Beg To Go.
BY this time the sun had risen and
the natives living in the vicinity, who
had been in the habit of supplying the
little local ''mercadOT or market with
such delicacies IS they could furnish
and which the soldiers had been in the
nabit Of buying to help out the iron
ration" supplied by Uncle sam. began
TO gather This was the first intima-
ton given them that there was to be
a change OF base They became eEcit-
ed as the full import of the movement
dawned upon them They jumped 10
the conclusion that the Americans,
whom they had learned to regard as
their friends. were leaving them TO
again become the prey Of either the
warning factions among their own peo-
pie or of the bandits which they felt as
sured would return and punish them
for having given aid and comfort 10 ]
the enemy in the way Of selling fresh /
bread eggs. etc Many Of them. S /
soon as they saw the tentless campsite. |
abandoned their own little stores Of j
bread and tortillas or with their bas-
kets or bundles in their hands sought !
the wagon and truck drivers and i'm /
plored to be taken along The scene !
presented as the number OF natives /
grew larger and the lamentations be-
came louder was pitifuL While the
trucks and the cavalry which was 10 \
make up the rear guard waited for the
fires 10 complete the destruction OF o.
the property which for any reason o
could not be carried away. many OF
the men rushed to their little homes
and. gathering up what clothing could
be bundled together. returned TO the
camp and renewed their requests 10
FOLLOW the Column
Notwithstanding that the requests
could not be complied with the retir-
ing column was followed by a con-
course Of Americans. Mexicans and |
several members OF the Chinese col
ony which had been attracted TO the
old camp by the opportunity 10 hnd
work or TO sell merchandise
The action Of the natives as Well as
Of the Chinese and the few Americans
who made up the little pueblito near
where the old camp had been estab-
fshed. in leaving their homes Tor fear
.hev might be the victims OF the ven
yeance of those Mexicans who regard
he Americans as enemies, has been
he cause Of much comment because
d the fact that il proves the conten-
lion Of many students of the situation
mar Notwithstanding the dispersal OF
he bandit bands by the American
troops. the withdrawal of the latter TO
The border viii be followed py tne
OF practically all Ameri-
ans and other foreigners and many
IF the better class MeXicans who have
shown any consideration for the hated
American soldiers
1t is true to a remarkable degree
hat the presence Of the troops in any
community has brought a sense OF Sc
.urity TO the peaCeably inclined natives
II that community the like OF which z
'hev have not experienced at any time
,ince the setting in OF the revolution |
lrv era. five years ago These people [
ire PRAYING that the soldiers viii be !
permitted 10 stay on indefinitely ana
many Of them are very free TO say Z
hat unless the soldiers are permitted ,
o stay in the country they, the citizens ]
eferred TO above viii leave by thou
ands TO escape the wrath OF the {
,andits