The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-09-01
RUIN OF MEXICO IS NOW COMPLETE

New York. Aug. 3o.--"Mexico has
ceased to exist as a nation. POLITICAL
di6integration Ia complete economic
decay and social degeneracy are far
| advanced and many of the people
| have succumhed to starvation ana
disease" said Dr.. Paul Bernado Al
| tendorf, who has lived in Mexico since
1914, and who operated there as an
agent of the military intelligence de-
partment of the United States during
! the twenty months ending April l..
| 1919 He is telling some Of the things
| he learned in tht stricken land in a
series of interviews arranged at mis-
request by the National Association
| for the Protection of American Rights
| in Mexico in the hope that he may
arouse the American people to re-
alization of the increasing peril south
| OF the Rio .Grande..
Since 1914 have been In 20 of
the 81 states constituting the former
| Mexican republic. and In most Of
them in the last two years. travelling
! almost continuously on foot. on mule
| back. in boats and on the few traips
| that are still running" continued DIR.
| Altendorf II travelled as a German,
for no one but German is safe in
Mexico.
| speaking from the fullness of first
| hand knowledge thus acquired. 1t
seems to me joke to call Carranza' ;
| administration government NO
/ real government exists south OF the
Rio Grande. except such authority az
a thug with gun exercises over an
I unarrned victim. Mexico is r7othir1f--
more than an agelomeration of an
archist gangs who kill and plumber
with no restraint but their own ca
| prices.
| The so-called rebels are no more
nor less than handitti To discrimi-
ma. betwee. Carran2istas and other
banditti Is to make distinction with
out a difference, All alike live by
| plumber.
| "Of thes~ rebels or handitti there
/ are 10o.ef1 men operating In gangs
! of 40 to 1000 under 81 unknown lead
| ers of Importance who hunt in definite
| territories. In addition there is an
unknown number of smaller fry who
| operate Independently at time and
again assert allegiance to some larger
gang when they need protection.
Included In this 100, 900 banditti
| sra about $4,000 men who part of
the time claim to be Carranzistas and
| who actually do serve under this
banner when expedient
/
/! ranza,s actual, dependable military
strength is $1,000 men. These men
1 are banditti like all other Mexicans
who own a gum They kill and rob
Just the same as any so-cailed rebel.
| In fact, that is the way most of them
get their supplies and their pay. That
!! Is also the way they make their Of
I ffcers rich: and IN fhis Connection II
| lis we'll to'remember that the Mexican
army has a higher ratio OF generals
| and colonies and majors than any
other military organization on earth.
Nearly all the robberies of paymasters
so frequent In the oil region are com
mitted by Carranxfstas-
Prcying on the Foreigners.
The point In that there are 1877
600 armed men preying indiscrimi-
nateIy upon natives and foreigners in
/ Mexico. The men at the top get the
largest share of the swag make nc
mistake about that. Carranza is re.
rrted to have $4,000, 900 on deposit
in Chilean banks His son-in law
General AEuilar. has suddenly be
come worth 100000 villa has
cleaned up about $4,000 900. part
Of which he ha:> used to finance his
raids and to buy such iuxuries al
three thousand collar bath tubs and
OF her things Of that sort that a ban.
dit king needs to maintain shis pres.
Itire. The rest is on deposit In banks
1 In r; paso. st. Louis. New York
land elsewhere. but none OF 1t in his
own name
I General Pablo Gonzales. a Car.
rama general and presidential can.
ldsdate, who was a railroad conductor
prior to 1914. now candidate fol
ME presidency. Is reputed to b
worth 5000, 900. He owns extensive
properties in San Antonio, held un.
der various names. General En-.
Y.ouex, civil governor Of Chihuahua
formerly common laborer. is now
worth g500,U00. General Carasca. In
,command at Maxatlan, a few years
,aso a porter earning $3.50 week
Is worth 100000 now. Genera
Iturbide. poor clerKa few years
fago, LIS now well-to-do.
.'Geperal Gales former governor OF
Sonora, now in command OF the
real ruler, saved more than million
dollars In two years out Of a gov
. eminent salary His son. 81 years
old. is already a colonel Genera
Manzo. recently a basket peddler. II
. now worth several hundred thou.
sand dollara. General Francisco Muir
Ig- Ia. formerly n poor farmer "a for.
mer dictator OF Cninoanua) 10 Worth
j t1.60O.000. Alvarado, who cleaned
tout. Yucatan, is a millionaire.
The minor bands pick up whatever
.. they can. hesitating at no atroddty
Men have~ been murdered for an ole
straw hat In Mexico In Acaponeta
Territory OF Topic. in April. 1918.
saw tho body of poor man who had
been murdered for his new straw hat
cocting $l,25. The two Carran1istaa
WHO shot him openly boosted tina
the sole object of the crime was +
get the hat. They were not even at
rested. A man suspected OF having
, . revolver II already condemned *
death: tor q revolver II all that 4
needed to set q Mexican gun up Il
the bandit business; while a revoivel
and good 6tetson hat together CON
stituta hisa 1 general.
TuEt1ze Uae0 ~ 1nxtpst M0nax.