The Washington times., 1919-08-27
BoerSionerS S
Comment
on Business
BY BOERsIANER.

The futility Of doing what was at
tempted on the Mexican border 1.-THE
tracking down Of 3 few brigands. or
limited expedition against a larger
band Of bandits) the futility Of IL is
intimated by Gen. James a Ryan,
who recently returned from the
French 'front.' to become a partner IN
the New YoFk-Chicago banking
house, Merrill, Lynch & Co.
The general was with sPershing in
Mexico at the time 4he latter's forces
invaded Mexico; he has, therefore, an
intimate knowledge Of what q punt
tive campaign does not accomplish
down there.
"At most a-what shall call him
leader like Villa-has 500 men,
declares General Ryan. He can call
that many together IL he thinks he
needs them, At times half that NUM-.
Der, or less, will do for the business
in hand.
sThat business, since Disz was
made to resign, has been and IS to
make raids or to extOrt tribute from
railway. a mine OF an Oil CORPORA
ton. at b4vS4 lea Sa.sr
Having decided on a raid OF an
extortion Vilia--I cite him as an sex-
ample-sends word to several OF his
captains, who are scattered over
wide area, but who can always be
promptly located BY the chief.
Each captain has so and so many
men at his command; men who for
the time are in some civil employ
ment The captains summon their
men at a point named by Villa.
Tbe 'expedition' concluded, the
spofis are distributed, according to
rank and. efficiency, and the army
is disbanded. Within tWentygfour
hours. there IS no villa army. Offi-
GERS and priv ates. arc. dispersed some
times over an entire prOyince;s every
one apparently, engaged IN some pur-'
suit Of life.
,isReEulars who come on the scene
after q villa operation can find no
army or band for the good reason
it does not exist--it has been quickly
dlsbaHded." %
BY way OF piteous accounts Of loot
ing and sssassinations by various
bands OF revolutionists, nothing is
more pitlfuI than the destruction OF
agricultural. colonies established BY
Americans. Here is a typical ex-
example, told by a Colonist:
There must have been 12b houses
destroyed at Colonia Diaz, which
others. We had just three hours to
get out, leaving all the accumula-
tions OF years Of hard work. I laid
out that place twenty-eight years
ago and. so to speak, grew up with
il, so you can imagine how / feel in
the matter. Several times the Me1i-
cans uhtashed through the colony,
playing havoc with IL each time until
now IL is in absolute ruin.
Beautiful homes all destroyed,
farm equipment burned. Everything
those wretches could lay their hands
on they burned or wrecked. had
300 head OF pOlled Angus cattle; I
saved only twenty-nine head. OF
eighty horses we had on the ranch,
only eight escaped the hands Of the
handits. In that section there were
ten stations worth $4,000. We did
manage 20 save three OF four from
the bandits. I had 5000 bushels OF
wheat on my ranch year ago. II
went quickly Shen the revolutionists
showed up. IN the colony altogether
there must h2ve been 10000 bushels,
all OF which vent. There were about
four thousand people in the colonies.
There are now only a few families
left, and they are In danger.
Since the Carranza government
came into power the National Bank
Of Mexico has been obliged TO accept
at par, in payment OF the loans which
it made formerly, either in specie or
notes OF the National Bank, the
paper money issued by the Carranza
government which has deprecated in
value and is worth. nominaliy. fye
cents in stead Of fifty cents Ots face
value.)
For having tried. tlmidIy. to pre-
vent the ahlux OF this deprecated
paper in its vaults, the directors of
the bank were Imprisoned and the
employees molestcd.
The paper Of the other govern
ment" (Villa and Zapata). which the
bank was obliged to receive in pay-
ment, wat declared to be invalid. and
ii had to be remitted to the authori-
ties and destroyed II is thus that
more than 30,OOO.OOO pesos in current
account alone. representing active
funds Of the bank amounting to S15.-
100000. were reimbursed BY paper,
which Sn6 e6o has a doubtful value Of So