Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-09-07
MEXICAN BORDER
SMUGGLERS HAVE
YEARLY TRADE Of
MILLIONS, CLAIM
Fully Twenty Million Dollars
Worh Of Goods Are Illegally
Sent Across the Boundary
Line Annually,
MAKERS OF ARMS AND
AMMUNITION BLAMED
American Manufacturers Are
Charged With Being In the
Plot, Thus Aiding Villa and
Other Bands of Bandits,


New York, Sept. 6.---Between $17,-
100000 and $20.000,000 worth of
goods are smuggled annually across
the Mexican border. more than one
(, fourth of which are arms and ammu-
milton, according to a statement is
sued here today by the National AS
sociation for the Protection of Ameri-
can Rights in Mexico, quoting DIR. p
B. Altendorf, former member of the
United States military intelligence de-
partment as authority.
Responsibility for the "devltries'
of Villa and other bandits was placed
by Altendorf at the door of American
manufacturers of arms and ammuni-
ton who work hand in hand with
the smugglers." incidentally he de-
clared that a renegade American was
responsible for the attack on Ameri-
can troops at Carrizal in June, 1916,
when two American officers and thir-
teen men were killed and twenty-three
wounded DIR. Altendorf said that th@
MeXicans who made the attack were
short of ammunition at the time but
obtained supplies through the rene
gated, who, he claimed, smuggled
S165, 600 worth across the border prior
to the attack.
Secured Through Smugglers.
"Villa smuggles over 60 per cent OF
his munitions" DR.. Altendorf said.
III that part Of his supplies were ont
s1ff so gNnillh hn fssa 4 u rltStS " ssA VI
for he could hardly keep going on the
40 per cent he buys from Carranzistas.
Doesn't it look as if responsibility for
Villas deviltres came pretty close to
the American manufacturers and deal
ers who supply the so per cent; and
as the Carranzistas are worse, If that
be possible, than the Villistas. and as
they in common with other banditti
down there must now also depend en-
tirely upon smuggling for supplies,
doesn't the whole Mexican situation
create q somewhat embarrassing
question Of ethics for these same man
ufacturers. and dealers?"
The renegade American mentioned
by DIR. Altendorf was said by him to
be an agent of Mexican Consul CARA
at Brownsville Tex, and also to be
confidential envoy of Carranza while
at one time he acted for Won Eek
hardt, the German ambassador to
Mexico City. who was involved in the
scheme for an attack on the United
States by Mexico and Japan. This
man is declared to have bough $1,000
worth of nickel in August, 1917. to
prevent 1t falling into the hands of the
Americans.
Misbranded Ammunition.
DR. Altendorf said that there was
one big drug store in Brownsville
which received shipments of ammu-
milton in boxes marked drugs" and
that another dodge resorted TO by the
smugglers was to conceal ammunition
in watermelons so as to get it past the
customs officials. "Usually," he said,
cit doesn't seem worth while to take
so much trouble. for there are such
long stretches of unguarded territory
that nothing much but laziness need
drive a smuggler to take such risks.
AS an evidence that at present Villa
is rather hard pressed, DR.. Altendorf
declared that in March of the present.
year the bandits wife pawned her1
jewelry in San Antonio for $4,000 and
used the money to pick up a bargain
in ammunition.
The smuggling is far from being a
one sided affair, however, according
to DIR. Altendorf. He said that one
third or more of the total amount
represents good smuggled from Mexico
into the United States and that this
includes great quantities of opium
The drug, according to the former
government agent. comes to the west
coast of Mexico in Japanese vessels
and thence finds its way across coun-
try to the border One smuggler re-
ported by DIR. Altendorf was captured
outside Nogales with $500 pounds of
opium in an automobile truck.
Other Drugs Smugg.ed.
Morphine and cocaine he con-
tinued, "are also smuggled extensively
The Germans paid special attention
to smuggling drugs into Kelly field,
the aviation field near San Antonio.
during the war. the idea being to
break down the American flying force,
but it didn't work"
DR.. Altendorf said that government
agents along the border were doing
the best they could, but they needed
help from higher up which was not
forthcoming.