Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1916-10-26
THE MEN WHO WERE
D|S0WNED IN DEATH

0bOV
The United States Army is made
up OF human beings. They are men
like US who live in Iowa, tilling
the soil, selling our merchandise,
or welding our pens. They are men
of courage who risk their lives in
the defense of the flag that makes
us free. When danger threatens us,
we look to them to offer them
selves as living sacrifices in our
defense. Nor have they failed us.
These were the men who pur-
sued Villa into Mexico after he
had massacred our countrymen at
Columbus last spring. They marched
southwark into a desolate land in
obedience to orders from Washing
ton.
Out OF the south from Carranza,
himself, came finally a message
forbidding them to proceed further.
But on the heels of this came "a
mother from Washington orde ering
them to go ON. There was but one
thing for them to do. A soldier
must obey orders even though his
life be the price of his obediences.
Finally company of our men
stood face to face at Carrizal with
Mexican troops who sought to bar
their progress. They were ordered
to charge the Mexican line; and,
again they obeyed orders. AS they
advanced, the Mexicans opened up
on them with machine guns; and
the American line was swept away.
Many were slain outright; many
others were wounded; some became
prisoners; and only few escaped.
The next part of the program
of the Mexicans was to- put the
wounded American soldiers to death
They were helpless, writhing in
agony and some We're dying. Yet,
according to the most reliable re-
ports, they We're mercilessly slain
and their bodies even mutilated af-
ter death. This unspeakable afro
city is not permitted in civilized
warfare. Yet at Carrizal, our wound
ed soldiers We're thus slaug htered
by the soldiers OF nation with
whom we We're at peace.
Then our government at Wash
lngton decided that Carranza was
right after all; and shortly after
ward 1t was reported that no ac-
ton would be taken to punish hiun
but that our government would
help him, instead, to secure loan
in the United States as he was
badly in need of money
The story is not complete unless
we understand something about Car
ranzas need of money. He was
buying munitions from the United
States. Mine days after the Column
bus raid, more than a million
rounds Of American ammunition had
been landed at Vera Cruz for him.
Six weeks later, another similar
shipment reached that port. Anoth-
err of 100000 rounds, arrived about
six weeks after this; and during
all this time, both ammunition and
other supplies had been flowing In
constant stream across the border
to the Carranza authorities.
The question is, What chance
did our soldiers have against such
combination? They were compel
ed to go into Mexico; they were
compelled to march into the jaws
of death at Gau1rizal; they could
not but go down before the A
merican-made machine guns which
We're turned loose upon them there;
and after this they were helpless
before the bloodthirsty wretches
who slew Them as they lay on the
battle field.
w ll'I INC tllluhS VI lnlS
sort OF thing is immaterial. 1t sub
mits the facts, as they have been
reported, to- the great jury of its
readers. However, it wishes to
speak word for the men who had
no chance. They died the death
obeying orders which required them
to- do just this thing. They played
their parts like men; yet even as
their mutilated corpses lay ON the
field of battle, they We're disowned
by those for whom they had made
the supreme sacrifice.
pRQE AQYMAA MAKES