The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1919-09-08
Secret Service Inspector Tells of
Depredations of CarranziStas
and Bandits i'm All Parts of
Mexico.
ARMY OFFICERS HAVE
AMASSED FORTUNES
Many Carranza Officials Who
Were Formerly Common La
borers Are Now Reputed to
Be Worth Several Millions.

/
ceased to exist as nation. Political dis
integration is complete; economic decay
and social degeneracy are far advanced
and such of the people as have survived
istarvation and disease are relapsing into
/ savagry," said DIR. Paul Bernado Alten-
dcrf, who has lived in Mexico since 1914,
and who operated there as an agent OF
the military intelligence department OF
| tho United States during the twenty
months ending April 1. 1919. He is tell
| ing some of the things he learned in that
stricken land in series of interviews
arranged at his request by the National
| Association for the Protection of Ameri-
can Rights in Mexico in the hope that
he may arouse the American people to a
realization of the increasing peril south
ot the Rio Grande.
"Since 1914 I have been in % of the
| 81 states constituting the former Mexi-
the last two years. travelling almost con-
tinuously on foot, on mule back, in boats
and on the few trains that are still run
/ m; g." continued DIR. Altendorf II trav-
eIed as a German; for no one but Ger
man is safe in Mexico.
Speaking from the fullness of first
hand knowledge thus acquired. it seems
to me a joke to call Carranza's admins
tration a government. No real govern
ment exists south of the Rio Grande. ex-
| cspt such authority as a thug with a
| gun exercises over an unarmed victim.
Mexico is nothing more than an agglo-
meration Of anarchist gangs who kill and
plunder with restraint but their own
icaprices.
"The so-called rebels are no more
nor less than banditti- TO discriminate
between Carranzistas and other banditti
| is to make a distinction without dif-
ference. All alike live by plunder.
i .Of these rebels or banditti there are
| 10e. 900 men operating in gangs of 40 to
| 1000 under 81 known leaders of import
ance who hunt in definite territories. In
addition there is an unknown number Of
smaller fry who operate Independently ut
times and again assert allegiance to some
larger gang when they need protection.
| Included in this 100000 banditti are
about 5000 men who part of the time
claim to be Carranzistas and who actual
| ~ do serve under his banner when ex-
| pedient.
But this is not all the story. Car
ranza's actual dependable military
strength is $1,000 men. These men are
a gun. They kill and rob just the same
as any so-called rebel In fact that is
the way most of them get their supplies
and their pay. THAI is also the way they
make their officers rich; and in this con-
nection it is well to remember that the
Mexican army has a higher ratio of
generals and colonels and majors than
any other military organization on earth.
Nearly all robberies of paymasters so
frequent in the oil region are committed
by Carranzstas.
1.-THE point is that there are 167. 900
armed men preying unfortunately upon
natives and foreigners in Mexico. The
men at the top get the largest share of
the swag; make mistake about that.
Carranza is reputed to have s15.000.O00 on
deposit in Chilean banks. His son-in-
law, General Aguilar has suddenly be-
como worth 81. 600. 900. Villa has cleaned
up about $4,000, 600, part of which he
has used to finance his raids and to buy
such iuxuries three thousand dollar
bath tubs and other things of that sort
prestige. The rest is on deposit in FL
Paso. st. Louis. New York and else
where. but none of 1T I'm his own name.
General Pablo Gonzales. a Carranza
general and presidential candidate, who
was a railroad conductor prior to 1914
now a candidate for the presidency. is
reported to be worth $4,000 900. He owns
extensive properties in San Antonio held
under various names. General Enriquez,
civil governor of Chihuahua, formerly a
common laborer. is now worth $500. 900.
General Cascasca, in command at Ma
zatlan. few years ago porter earning
sf.50 a week, is worth $4,000 now. Gen.
eral Iturbide. poor clerk a few years
ago. is now well-to-do.
General Gales. former governor of
Sonora, now in command of the troops
there and consequently the real ruler
saved more than million dollars in two
years out of a government salary. His
son. 21 years old, is already a colonel.
General Manzo. recently basket peddler
is now worth several hundred, thousand
dollars. General Francisco Murguia
formerly a poor farmer Ga former dicta-
tor of Chihuahua) is worth 81. 500. 900
Alvarado. who cleaned out Yucatan. is a
Millionaire
''The minor bands pick up whatever
they can. hesitating at no atrocity. Men
lave been murdered in Mexico for an old
straw hat In Acaponeta. Territory of
Tepic. in April 1913. I saw the body Of
a poor man who had been murdered for
his new straw hat. costing s1.25. The
bcasted that the sole object of the crime |
was to get the hat They were not even
arrested. man suspected of having a |
revolver is already condemned to death. |
for revolver is all that is needed TO
set a Mexican up in the bandit business.
while revolver and good Stetson hat |
together constitute him a general