The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-03-03

| M NOMINAL form of government | N\ is exercised by Carranza and e S and his followers, and this government Is now attempting to i, create the impression in the United States that Mexico is resuming peace 1 fuI ways and is experiencing return ing prosperity.
 | Nothing could be further from the | truth. When I left the country few ] months ago conditions were worse | than they had ever been within the | memory of man. A few days since received letter from a friend who is | in close touch with Mexican affairs, and who, despite the censorship, re- ceves honest information on condi- tions. He wrote: Conditions in Mex | co grow steadily worse"
 | Now for 8 few facts about Carranza 1 He holds the position of President only because he allows every subordinate ! bandit to do as he pleases. He really controls only small part of the coun- l try. Murder and robbery are ram- | pant in his very capital. Within the | past few months insurrectos have been i fighting his troops in the suburbs of Mexico City. The fertile agricultural | lands to the east, south and west of Mexico City are filled with bandits, | who, in the name of patriotism, perpe-
 trate robbery and murder daily and
 nightly.
 1 To conceal these conditions from tie l outside world the Carranza govern
 ment maintains, a combined system of 1 espionage and censorship that probably never has been equaled. I am satisfied I that no letters are allowed to go un- opened. Those that contain dama ging iinformation are destroyed and the writers are lucky if they are not de- stroyed also. The cables are absolutely under government control. The few foreigners who risk their lives by go- { ing back and forth to the outside | world have interests that they dare not jeopardize by talking. Inspired press reports, made out of the whole cloth, are sent out, describing wholly l imaginary reforms, educational prof. ! ects and material progress. The ob | ject of these is to inspire confidence | in the Carranza government, so that l it can borrow money and so that the embargo against the shipment of arms and ammunition from the United States may be raised.
 ] The government needs arms because it is in state of perpetual war wish various patriots In the state of Vera Cruz these gentry profess allegiance to Felix Diaz, neprew of the former President. Porfirio Diaz. He is main- 1 taining the only opposition to Carranza that has even the semblance of organi- zation, though there is scarcely state in the country where some alleged rev olutionary movement is not under way. It is true that things have quieted down in the northern districts because the supplies there have been exhausted
 and the revolutionists have drifte1 kto the fertile agricultural regions of the south where there is always some- thing to steal For this reason it is far more safe and practicable to make the long journey by rail by Mexico l City to the Texas border than it is to travel the 260 miles between tha capital and Vera Cruz.
 Last September four trains bound t, Vera Cruz were dynamited and the passengers robbed in one day. I do
 not believe there has been week
 since when one or more trains have
 not been destroyed in the same way. Between Mexico. City and Vera Cruz | there are just four railway stations now standing and one of these has been partially destroyed by fire Rail- way service is often completely stop ped for days at a time and is only op-
 erated at all under heavy military
 guard. The government operates ali { railways in the territory 1t controls. No dividends are paid, no rolling stock
 is replaced and it Is only matter of comparatively short time until the
 railway systems will be unable~ to i function.
 ! Kidnapping is another source of rev. enue. A man supposed to have money ] is seized, perhaps within sight of his
 own home, and hustled away to some
 mountain fastness. His, friends are
 notified that if they do not pay ram som he will be killed. The son of
 one of my neighbors wes kidnapa1 1 in this way, and his father attempte
 to surprise the bandits at the momen- the ransome was being paid. The SOL
 diers who were to execute the surprise were defeated and the boy was mur- l dered in revenge. Such things are 1 of frequent occurrence
 When the ransom is paid and the
 victim released tha government rept0
 sentatives swoop down on the family
 Aha" they say, fyou are in league with the rebels. Ybu have contributed 1000 pesos to their cause Now you
 will contribute 24oo0 pesos to the government" Failhre to contribute
 means confiscation Iof property and ex-
 flo.
 The economic lide of the country ;s