Evening star., 1918-01-14
YAQU|S, TRoUBLEMAKER
IN MEXICO FOR YEARS
Lands Taken From Them, Indians
Complain, and They Live in
Chronic State Of War.
Correspondence Of the Associated Press.

| Correspondence OF Sne Associated Press.
HERMosILLO. Sonora. Mexico, De-
cember 3O.-The Yaqui Indian has been
the troublemaker Of northwestern Mex
leo for generations, and his recent out
break is but one Of a large NUM- Der
which have occurred during the ad-
lministrations of Diaz, Madero and other
leaders.
Starting with the Bronco Yaquis
along the Rio Yaqui. in southwestern
Sonora, early in September, the revolt
has spread toFmany of the allied tribes,
including the Mansos Yaquis. who have
been peaceful in the past and who de-
rived their names from the fact they
worked with their hands
| In the rich Yaqui river valley Of
southwestern Sonora the Indian up
rising has had it's center. The Indian
towns of Potam, Vacuum, Bacum, La
Colorado and Suaqui Grande have been
scenes of various Indian raids, and
Mexican federal troops have been un-
able to make any great headWay in
lconquering these warning tribesmen.
The revolt reached it's height after the
fall harvests of corn, beans and gar
banzo had been harvested. Storehouses
where these crops were put away Tor
| the winter were looted and the Indians
extended their field Of operations far
into the north toward Hermosillo, the
capital. Ammunition and rifles were
Ismuggled across the Sonora border for
them and a number Of engagements
fought between the Yaquis and the fed
erals resulted in the routing of the
government troops.
Land Problem Cause Of Trouble.
| The basic cause of the unrest among
these northwestern Mexico Indians is
| the land problem. At one time these
Indians owned and titled thousands Of
acres of the most fertile land in the
republic. which was watered by the
Yaaui river. These lands were grad
ually confscated by the various gov
ernments and parceled out to favorites
Of the ruling powers. The Indians
| claim they were given inferior lands
in place of their original holdings, and
rsa hoidnss he ons Amercsn eom onse
pany now controls 100000 acres of land
in the Yaaui country. much of which
is claimed by the Indians.
cultural people. with a bent for hunting
In the mountains during the winter
! They are stocky, sturdy, and possess
| many Of the traits of the American
Indian. Fighting has lately been one Of
their chief occupations. as they have been
on the warpath either in their own in
terest or for the various de facto gov
ernnlents for fifteen years
Torres Took Land From Them.
During the days of President Diaz the
Yaquis were dispossessed Of much of
their fertile valley lands by Gen. Torres,
the federal governor of Sonora. Large
numbers were deported from the state
by boat to the hot lands of Yucatan and
to Tres Marias Island. off the coast of
Topic. This was one OF the chief griev-
ances which caused the Yaqui war. This
war continued until the outbreak of the
Madero revolution. when the Indians
Joined with Madero against their sworn
enemies of the old federal regime.
They did much OF the hard fighting
during the Madero and subsequent revo-
lutions. especially at Celaya. where they
were Gen. Obregon's chief mainstay when
villa and his powerful army attacked the
entrenched positions of Obregon's Car
rama force. The Yaquis were given
much Of the credit for this victory. which
shattered Villas dream Of political power
AEua Prieta. Sonora. the Taquis again
aided in defeating Villa and causing him
to revert to his guerrilla campaign, which
included the Santa Ysabel and Columbus,
N. NJ, massacres.
Gen. Plutarco Elias Gales has under
taken mailed fist campaign against
the Yaqui Indians in Sonora to suppress
| the peaceful Yaquis in Recommendation
camps, and has ordered all others hunted
down and killed. Wholesale deportations
to the hot lands of Mexico have also been
threatened.
Two Kinds Of Yaquis.
The Yaquis are divided into two classes.
One is the Bronco Yaqui." which in
cludes the fiercest of the fighters and the
sturdiest of the tribesmen. The other
class includes the ''Manses," or peaceful
Indians.
Numbers of attempts have been made
to convert these Indians to peaceful ways.
President Madero had a commission of
Indians visit him in Mexico City. Later
he sent commission to treat with the
tribal leaders. But the Indians claimed
they were not given back their promised
lands and were soon on the warpath The
present uprising is said by officials Of
the government to be the most threaten
ing since the days of Diaz.