The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-09-16
Joint Police Fore Not Prac-
ticable, Is Opinion of Com
missiOners i'm Session
RURALES SUGGESTED
AS BETTER METHOD
Bliss Again Tells Dispassionately
What He Thinks VIII Happen If
Pershing Withdraws Before Order
Is Restored on the Border

New London. Conn, September ia
suggestion that the Mexican government
create a constabulary for border duty
similar to the rurales of the Diaz regimo
was made today during a brief session
OF the American Mexican joint commits
sion, concluding the second week of its
deliberations. Apparently the plan for a
! joint police force previously discussed
was abandoned as impracticable after the
commissioners had conferred with Major
General Bliss, assistant chief of STAFF Of
the United States army.
The three Mexican commissioners left
for New York tonight TO join In the cele-
bration there tomorrow of the Mexican
national holiday, arranged by consular
officials
General Bliss. it was learned. made to
the joint commission today a dispa ssion-
ate statement of the situation he believed
would follow General Pershing's with
drawal from Mexico before properly
constituted constabulary is created to re-
lieve his troops. 1t is understood he
pointed out the difficulty of creating a
border police under dual authority
There is reason to believe the American
commissioners have sought to impress
their Mexican conferees with view that
Mexico must recognize a responsibility
for the depredations her nationals may
commit on the border If good relations
are to be unimpaired. The whole ques
ton of creating a nonmilitary police
force to hunt down bandits in their hill
retreats is based on this feeling, and it
is believed the suggestion that the Car
rama government undertake this task
for itself as an international obligation
came from the Mexican commissioners.
The theory is that a force of carefully
selected mounted police could be disposed
in small posts in the hill country. The
chase would become an individual pursuit
rather than military movement which
becomes ineffective II the bandits scatter.
The police would check UP the comings
and goings of every man in suspected
community. Moving swiftly and unham-
pered by women camp followers, who
form the commissary of Mexican mill
tary force, the rurales. it is believed. could
do much toward putting permanent
check on brigandage.
The question of Mexico's responsible
ity to protect the American border will
be discussed next week. The American
commissioners are disposed not to stand
upon any technicality of laws, but to
deal with the situation as one of fact.
taking into consideration Mexicos So
cial and economic conditions.
Other questions it has been planned
to discuss next week are plans for con-
sideration Of claims of American citi-
zens; allegations of American property
owners in Mexico that their property
is being confiscated by executive taxa
ton or by DEGREES providing for for
feiture the right claimed by the gov
eminent to take over lands owned by
foreigners on the ground that the prop
erty has not been used during the
period when 1T was impossible to get
to them to operate them. and the con-
sideration of the DEGREES under which
American citizens have been driven out
or not permitted to practice their pro-
LESSONS or carry on their business.
contrary to treaty regulations.