Evening star., 1920-02-07
MEXICO Conditions
SCORED BY HOWE.
Country Cannot Save Itself
Unaided, General Tells
Senators.

Ell PASO. Tex. February Maj.
! Gen. r. l.. Howe; commanding in the
FL Paso district. testifying here yester-
day before the Senate subcommittee in
| vestigating the Mexican situation. said
he regarded conditions in Mexico as
'intolerable." He said he believed the
Mexicans left to themselves would be
unable to improve the condition.
Gen. Howe expressed the opinion that
affairs in Mexico had grown steadily
worse in the last ten years and that
''left solely in the control of Mexicans''
the future of that country was "hope-
less The general said that SO far as
he could determine the Mexican govern
"one genuinely friendly thing toward
our government" but on the other hand
that government or it's people had done
no end of 'contemptuous and offensive
things toward our government and peo-
pie"
War Department Approves.
The appearance of Gen. Howe was
with the approval of the War Depart
ment. His publicly made statement was
supplemented by one in executive ses-
sion which was not made public
The conclusions of Gen. Howe were
contained in a. short statement he read
to the committee. but its presentation
was preceded by a summary of the re-
ports he had gathered of American cas-
Bile to Mexicans since 1917 1t account
ed for eleven killed and seventeen
wounded.
Gen. HOwxe's Statement.
Following is Gen. Howze's state
ment:
On and on duriEs the last four
years l nave had peculiar advantages
of being able to see and to know the
Things. so far as concerns American
and foreign owned property, which
have happened on this side of the Rio
Grande and in Mexico.
Will not undertake to describe
; them-they are too numerous and al
ready we'll known. My conclusions
ought to be sufficient. The intolera BILE
conditions which have covered a pc
riod of nearly ten years have con-
tinually grown worse and / am conn
WINGED the apex of shamefulness and
horror as viewed from the Ameri-
can conception of justice and decency
was reached last fall, condition
which still exists.
Mexican Government CnfriendIy.
The Mexican government during
this ten years of critical time has
one genuinely friendly thing toward
our government On the other hand.
the Mexican government, or it's people,
has done no end of discorteous. con-
temptuouS and offensive things of
large importance toward our govern
ment and our people.
The result has been an increased
estrangement and an increased hatred
against the people of the United
States. There are no end Of reports
showing that Americans are being
murdered or captured and released on
payment of ransom Foreign-owne
properties are being confiscated or
practically destroyed. Mexican bands
are committing horrible crimes and
raids upon the persons and property
of American citizens located on our
side of the border.
Nothing Constructive In Mexico.
Everywhere in Mexico, as far as
can be observed, there is lack Of
progress. Murder. rapine and de-
view there is no evidence of construc-
tive craftsmanship.
I'VE who closely observe believe
the future Of Mexico, so far as its af-
fects US. is utterly hopeless II left
solely in the control Of Mexicans"
Col. Glover's Testimony.
Col. Francis Glover when asked re-
garding the fighting in Juarez on June
1915. 1919. testified that the bullets
which fell in Ell Paso were from both
Mexican armies. but that the major
ity were those fired by Carranza SOL
diers. He and others exposed them
selves at the headquarters of the 82d
Field Artillery on the American side.
He ordered his men to watch for the
rifle flashes and then fall. The flashes
were seen. and as they sank to the
ground the bullets struck the walls
above them.