Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-01-14
YAoUIs LONG TROUBLESOME.
Land Problem Basic Cause Of Trouble
Among Mexican Indians.

by the Associated PreSs.]
Hermosillo, Son. Mex, Dec. 10.-The
Yaqui Indians has been the trouble
maker Of northwestern Mexico for gen.
erations and his recent outbreak is but
one Of large number which have oc-
Cured during the administrations 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 to many of the allied tribes,
including the Mansos Yaquis who have
been peaceful in the past and who
derived their names from the fact they
worked with their hands.
In the rich Yaqui river valley OF
southwestern Sonora the Indian upris-
ing has had its center. The Indian
towns Of Potam, Vacuum, La Colorado
and Suaqui Grande have been scenes
Of various Indian raids and Mexican
federal troops have been unable to
make any great Roadway in conquer
ing these warning tribesmen. The re-
volt reached it's height after the fall
harvest of corrD beans and garbanzo
had been harvested. Storehouses
where these crops were put away for
the winter were looted and the Indians
extended their field Of operations far
into the north toward Hermosillo, the
capital. Ammunition and rifles were
smuggIed 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.
The basic cause Of the unrest among
these southwestern Mexico Indians is
the land problem. At one time these
Indians owned and titled thousands OF
acres Of the most fertile land in the re-
public which was watered by the Yaqui
river. These lands were gradually con-
fiscated by the various governments
and parceled out to favorites Of the
ruling powers. The Indians claim they
were given inferior lands in place OF
their original holdings and insist upon
the restoration Of these tribal holdings
One American company now controls
| 100000 acres Of land in the Yaqui coun-
| try much of which is claimed by the
Indians.
| The Yaqui tribes were originally ag-
ricultural people with a bent for hunt
| ing in the mountains during the winter
They are stocky, sturdy and possess
many Of the traits of the American In
dian. Fighting has lately been one OF
their chief occupations as they have
been on the warpath either in their
own interest or for the VARIOUS de facto
governments for Is years.
During the days Of President Diaz
the Yaquis were dispossessed Of much
Of their fertile valley lands by General
Torres, the federal governor of Son.
ora. Large numbers were deported
from the state by boat to the hot lands
Of Yucatan and to Tres Marias Island
Lon the coast Of Topic. This was one OF
the. chief grievances which caused the
fYaqui 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
revolutions, especially, at Celaya where
they were General Obregon's CHIEF
mainstay when Villa and his powerful
army attacked the entrenched positions
Of Obregon's >Carranza force. The va
quis were given much Of the credit fol
this victory which shattered Villas
dream of political power and drove him
back to the border. At Aqua Prieta
Sonora, the Yaquis again aided in de-
feating Villa and causing him to re-
vert to his guerilla campaign which in
cluded the Santa Ysabel and Column
bus, N. NJ massacres.
General Plutarco Elias Gales has
undertaken mailed fist" campaign
against the Yaqui Indians in Sonora
to suppress the present uprising. He
has informed the peaceful Yaquis in
RECOMMENDATION camps and has ordered
all others hunted down and killed
| Wholesale DECORATIONS to the hot lands
of Mexico have also beens threatened
The Yaquis are divided into two
classes. One is the "brcnco Yaqui'
which INCLUDES the fiercest of the fight
ers and the sturdiest Of the tribesmen
The other class includes the "mansos'
or peaceful Indians.
Numbers of attempts have beer
made to convert these Indians to peace,
full ways. President Madero had 9
commission of Indians visit him In
Mexico City. Later he sent a commits
sion to treat with the tribal leader. But
the Indians claimed they were no,
given hack their nromised lands and