New-York tribune., 1920-01-14
Mexican Spies
Keep Vigil at
Senate Inquiry
Agents of Both. Carral,za
and Rebel Factions Found
: in San Antonio on Eve
OF U. S. Investigation
By Wilbur Forrest

By Wilbur Forrest
SAN ANTONIO, Jan. 1s.-With Sen.
ators Fall and Smith Of the Senate
Subcommittee investigating the Mexi.
can situation already on the ground
1t was announced o-day that the com.
mlttee would get down to business
tomorrow. At least fortnight will be
spent in taking testimony.
The lobbies of San Antonie's LEADING
hotels tonight resembled the busy
scenes in New York hostelres except
that here the crowds have nothing tc
talk about except Mexico. Men with
the wide-brmmed hats and the COW.
boy boots sorn by border Americans
are. here in large numbers to testif,
or "listens in" They lend a Western
atmosphere to the city which the aver
age tourist expects to find here, but
doesn't.
Americans who suffered under the
Carranza regime and who are now
seeking the refuge of their own coun.
try. seem to be in the majority among
the two hundred and more witnesse,
here for the hearings. Their testi
mony will be designed to throw more
light on Bolshevik tendencies in Mex.
leo and especially that phase of radi.
cal activity there which allows its
influence to float across the frontier
into the United States.
Carranza Agents on Ground
The adhercnts of the various Mexi-
can factions, both rebels and Carran-
zistas, were known to-day to be how
ering close enough at least to take ad-
vantage of immediate reports from the
committee proceedings which doubtless
they, Will report to their respective
chiefs.
Carranza secret service agents ap-
pear to be on the ground in force. One
familiar with these agents may pick
them out here and there, even though
they wear no green whiskers or smoked
glasses during operations. AS | left
the room of Senator Smith at one of
the hotels here this afternoon one of
these secret service agents sauntered
off down the corridor so nonchaiantly
that he gave away his secret with
every move and gesture. He couldn't
have announced his calling more plain
vcrblal facial decorations.
1t was regarded as possible tonight
that Brigadler General Alfredo Palace
brother of the bandit chief, Mahuel
Pa'acz. who holds sway over a part OF
the Iampico oil fields, would appear as
witness before the Fall committee. Pal
acz has been in San Antonio several
days, and has privately expressed a
Willingness to appear and tell the rebel
side of the Mexican question. If this
testimony develops, it will be the first
time the committee has delved into
that question, as the. evidence thus far
trigues Of the Carranza government
and the mistreatment of Americans in
Mexico. At no time have the hearings
touched on the rebel lineup against
Carranza.
Mrs. Willis to Testify
Among the witnesses to be heard
soon by the committee is Mrs. James
B. Willis, who is living now with rela-
tives in San Antonio. Her testimony
will deal with the disappearance of her
husband and his American companion
near Aguascnlientea. in 1917, after ali
had been forced to flee from their
farm north Of Tampico. They reached
Aguascalientes. safely, and, while he,
husband and his companion left the
railroad station on an errand, Mrs
Willis waited there with her two small
children. The entire party had planned
to take another train toward the Dor.
der, but the men folk never returned
Mrs. Willis will testify that subse-
quent information gathered by he1
husbands brother proves that Mr.. Will
lis was murdered.
Henry Wright, who also is living in
San Antonio, after fight from he1
farm in the State of San Luis Potosi
When the Carranza soldiers looted and
occupied her farm it was necessary 70,
her to hide with her three pretty
daughters, all between the ages OF
sixteen and twenty, for three weeks
in Il cornheld to save the children, ac-
cording to the testimony she will give
the committee. The farm was sacked
and the mother and daughters escaped
to tho United States after harrow;nr
hardships.
1t is aIso planned to introduce bcGore
the committee at this time The test
mony OF George K. Blalock. director OF
colony of ninety-two Oklahoma and
Kansas families, living on tract OF
$4,000 acres north Of Tampico anc
forty miles from tho nearest railroad
Blalock will charge that the Carran.
zistas took all the livestock and othe,
things from the settlement, and thai
six members of the colony nance
Randall, Pelgram, Stovall, Robinson
Gorham and Penix were murdered BY
Mexicans who have not yet been pun,
ished for the crime. Eventually The
entire colony Wn2 forced to laau1