New Ulm review., 1917-07-04
MEXICO SET BACK.
TO THE DARK AGES
TRAVELLER SAYS GOD BLESSED
THE COUNTRY AND MAN HAS
II CURSED IT.
CITIES FILLED WITH THIEVES
AND GRAFTERS FROM HEAD Z
OFFICIALS. -.
By C. l.. Morrill,.

By G. L. Morrill,.
God has blessed Mexico and man has
cursed it. Years of revolution have set
it back to the days before Porfirio Diaz.
It is worse than the middle ages.
Mexico has mines of untold wealth,
but she is bankrupt; oil, but gross mental
darkness; beautiful climate, but no rare
spiritual atmosphere; forests Of every
tree but the one of knowledge. Her
Dloom and charm are gone so are most
Of the best Americans. This garden of
eden has become backyard ash-heap.
Cities Dens of Thieves.
The cities are dens of thieves from the
highest official to the lowest office boy.
The government chokes the people with
one hand and picks their pockets with
the other. From the Rio Grande to
Guatemala, Mexico is Jericho highway
Of robbery. Mr.. Carranza is called the
First Chief and Thief" and his generals
and soldiers take your money, house,
wife and life ad libitum. Custom-house
srafters charge you two or three times
the original cost of a thing, and not a
trunk or box Of any value is taken from
port to interior town without an enorm-
GUS bribe. The Inquisition is gone, but
the main idea of an official is to take the
joy out of your life, the valuables from
your trunk and the money from your
pocket.
Mexico is under military misrule.
Soldiers are law unto themselves. They
ride trains on passes, reserving the best
coach for themselves and lady friends,
while frst-class passengers are crowded,
thick as sardines, into third-class car.
Plantation owners told me they preferred
the bandits to the soldiers sent out for
their protection.
Army Confscates Everything.
In Mexico City the army has con-
fscated, not only the public buildings,
but palatial homes for stables or barracks,
destroying libraries, pictures and art
work. The beautiful trees in the main
plaza were chopped down by order Of an
tfficer to be sold as fire-wood, and also
make it easier to see and kill the people
who might object to such high-handed
outrage. ~, So
Soldiers ride in touring cars who a
few years ago didn't have carfare. Autos
filed with officers and fast women, speed
down the leading avenues, running over
personal and property rights. For a
pleasant side diversion they shoot at
each other in the cars or at pedestrians
walking on the streets. These heroes
fill the cafes and cantinas and amuse
themselves by taking over the house
with the inmates and shooting out the
electric lights. Every noon one can see
Don Juan officers driving up in their
cars to the entrances of young girls
schools to watch the pretty senoritas
come out and invite them to take a spin,
but wise parents are there to give their
daughters safe escort home. In Mexico
CITY some of Carranza's choicest officers
imported pornographic films from
Havana which they showed at five pesos
g person. The 'First Thief is surround
ID by band of ruthless, robbing, raping,
soldiers. l visited the penitentiary and
found scores of well-dressed and in
telligent-looking prisoners. The good
I:eople in town seem to be in jail.
Would Shame Respectable Buzzard.
A respectable buzzard would be
ashamed to eat what the poor people are
f,Iad to get. Mexico has not only
hundreds of cripples and professional
neggars, but thousands of half-starved
souls. They sleep on street and side
walks at night, huddled up with dogs
and children. Their breakfast table is
tae refuse-heap. At railroad stations
they swarm around the trains. At Vera
Cruz half-naked girls came to our boat
and begged for bread. In Mexico City
many women, formerly rich and we'll te
0, have had their wealth and property
confscated, and are now houseless by
light selling their souls to death in orde7
to keep their bodies alive.