Arizona republican., 1920-02-12
SHOW EVIDENCE OF GERMAN PACT
 WITH CARRANzA
Many Huns in Ranks of Mexican Army as Indicat- ed at Skirmish of Nogales in 1918, Army Officer Testifies
IRepubIican A. p. Leased wireJ

FL PASO. Texas, Feb. 11.-At least
 two Germans were fighting in the
 Mexican army on August 27. 1918. at
 Nosales, according to the testimony of
 Captain Frederick T. Herman of the
 Eighth cavalry, before the senate sub
 committee Investigating the Mexican
 situation today. He said their bodies
 were found among the Mexican killed.
 Captain Herman, lieutenant colonel
 commanding at Nogales at the time oi
 the fight, denied the official statement of the Mexican commander that the Mexican force was composed of civilians.
 Says Fighting Was Planned The investigation of the action and the incidents preceding it, he told the committed, indicated clearly the greater
 part of the Mexicans engaged were sol
 diers, although most of them had dressed in civilian clothes. and that
 the fighting had been planned and was directed by their commanding officer and his assistants. The American casualties were five killed and 31 wounded. Three civilians were also
 killed and five wounded The Mexi- can losses never were learned but United States army intelligence reports were submitted to show the Mexicans
 buried after the fight at least Ills.
 Much of the testimony taken today
 was in executive session. It had to do
 with the forced evacuation of the
 Mormon colonies in Chihuahua. The committee also learned the details of
 the efforts made by the American mili-
 tary authorities to have brought to trial Lieutenant Juan AZpeitia for the murder Of David Troib. December 2S. 1s1S an American soldier. He was
 killed on the Mexican side of the river near Fl Paso. The return of his body 10 the American side, where the au topsy was held, was made the basis of a protest by the Mexican authorities against any action by them. Negotia tions resulted in three examinations Of the body, one by a Mexican military medical officer, and the arrest and pr ellminary trial of Lieutenant Appel tia who confessed but insisted he acted in self-defense. It was shown the A American soldier was unarmed and Mexican witnesses testified the lieu tenant did not act in self f-defense. The continuance of the case was checked
 upon a technical point and the wit nesSes have disappeared. The lieu tenant is at large.
 Continuing his account of the fight at Noga1es, Captain Herman told the committee it began at o'clock in the afternoon. A shot was fired by one of the sentries on the international line in an effort to prevent its uauthorized crossing by some one. Within five minutes, he declared, general firing
 was in progress from Mexican positions that had been previously occupied and
 that machine. gun fire was directed at
 the Americans from point where no
 such gun had been the day before.
 When an armistice was agreed to at
 : o'clock, the Mexican order to cease
 firing was given by bugle and was
 executed in the usual military manner. There was nothing, he insisted, to in- dicate the fighting was being done by civilians, as claimed except the state ment of the commanding officer and the civilian clothing worn by many of those engaged
 The Mexican consul at Nogales sent word to Captain Herman, who was l wounded, suggesting that if the Ameri-
 cans would raise a white flag the MeXi- | cans would cease firing. The reply was the Americans had no white flags: they don't use them.' few minutes later a white flag over the Mexicans side of the town resulted in
 cessation of fire and the conference that was followed by the return of the Americans to their own side of the in- ternationaI line.