The New York herald., 1920-12-28
WET MEXICAN TOWN
THORN TO SAN DIEGO
Tia Juana, in Lower California,
Entices Army of Amer
leans to It's Saloons.
APPEAL FOR FEDERAL AID
Government Replies 1t Lacks
Jurisdiction, but Will Re-
form Passport System.

special Despatch TO TIE New YoRK HERALn
SAN DIEGO, Dec. 27.-Beyond tn
border lies Tia Juana and the revelr,
runs high tonight. For they are telling
1t In the streets of this new Ascalon hov
the American Government has come t.
the conclusion that 1t has no jurisdiction
over the morals of the Mexican peopl'
and that 1t cannot insist on strict pass
port regulations on the Lower Califor
MIA boundary.
Here in San Diego tonight all per
sons are sober and quiet except the frs
few drunks who are making their way
home hilariously from over the border
But the reputable citizens of the city
are chagrined over the refusal OF the
State Department to rescue its waywaro
sons from the iniquities of Tia Jusna
Twenty-four civic and public welfare or
ganizatons and the Mayor himself had
petitioned the Washington Government
to put up the bars. immigration, hatweer
the two places Representatives Of the
American Federation of Labor, the
Methodist BOARD of Temperance and the
Anti Saloon League carried the plea to
Acting Secretary of State Davis. Among
other things the petition, said:
"One-day permits are granted free OF
charge and may be obtained without diff
ficulty and. according to reports. the
passport officers have even been kept
open on holidays and Sundays at certain
times to accommodate applicants foJ
passports"
Ninety per cent. of the crime and vice
in San Diego is tracable to Tia Juana."
Migration in One Day.
In single day last month no fewer
than $4,000 crossed the border into Tia
rail on the sole of a shoe and to lift the
flowing bowl.
The State Department took cognizance
of all this and to-day made it known
that however sympathetic 1t might be
with the best minded citizens of Sar
Diego it was decidedly impracticable tc
put large armed force along the border
for constant patrol to enforce drastic
regulations Yet it gave sort of a
promise to shake up the present passport
system.
Roll fifty mining towns into one and
YOU have a picture of Tia Juana. 1t Is
seventeen miles from here, with stand
ing population of 1000 Mexicans, who
live In the ramshacSle houses that are
not being used as saloons and gambling
dens. Gambling is not so much in ths
open now, because Obregon has issued
an edict against it. but San Diego be-
lieves that the cock fights are going or
sub rosa and that behind darkened win.
dow the roulette wheel is swinging mer.
rily and the faro bank ia in full blast.
But the saloon has supplanted the
gaming table and the race track. They
may talk about Cuba in the East. but
out here they are willing to bet that Tis
Juana is the wettest spot on earth.
Cost and Quality of Liquor.
AS to the quality of the liquor ths
least said the better. That also goe.
for the price Beer that is horrible cost,
quarter glass. And whiskey which
bushes at the very name costs from
fifty cents to couple of dollars 6
drink. depending on the purse and con.
dition of the purchaser.
Bootlegging across the border has
reached such a stage that strong repre-.
sentations have been made to the Mexi.
can Government Reports have reached
San Diego that President Obregon soor
will establish a fifteen mile zone and
that no liquor of any kind will be OBJ.
tainable within that distance from the
border. The local courts are filled with
men who have been caught by Fedora
agents attempting to smuggle liquor
across the line. The bootleggers ever
have taken to the sea to get their bar.
rels of whiskey into American territory
but the vigilant prohibition agents
quickly have put a stop to this.
The gambling dens. notorious through
out this section of the country, have
been removed by order of President
Obregon. Obregon also has ordered q
cleaning up of the Infamous hop joints
by prohibiting the drug from being i'm.
ported into Lower California. The meH
who have persisted In dealing in these
drugs are either being imprisoned OF de-
ported.
Women OF the underworld who
flocked to Tia Juana in great numbers
when the races were started also have
found an enemy In President Obregon
BY direct orders from Mexico city
Manuel Balarezo, Governor Of the north
ern district of Lower California, re-
Gently deported seventy-five f these
women. Deportation OF the womer
added to the trials and tribulations ci
the local police, who have been assailed
for not taking steps to eliminate vice
conditions in this city. Recently the
naval authorities have taken matters
in their own hands and placed blue.
jacket guards outside disorderly house }
The race track has been the subjec,
of severe attacks by the ministerial and
other associations of the city. but at a
recent election the citizens voted to per-
NIT the newspapers to continue publish
ing the form chart and other race track
nows The average daily attendance at
the race track Ia from 5000 to 10000.
The people come from all sections of the
United states The average daily bet
ting totals s75.0o0. No complaint has
ever been made regarding the manage
n,ent Of the race track or In the manner
in which the races are conducted.
To sum II all UP, Tia Juana may be
one thousand times ten miles east OF
Suez, but man can raise thirst there
and what's more he can satisfy IL