New-York tribune., 1920-01-12
Militariisn in
Mexico Lives
On Banditry
Continued from page 1

proof Of this statement there is none
except results. Since the generals de-
parture Villa has become active. and
the general, who was reputed poor be-
fore his Chihuahua assignment, now
owns great and valuable hacienda, or
ranch, in Zacatecas and has bought two
fine residence properties in Mexico City,
one Of them the building formerly occu-
pied by the American Embassy. My
informant was Mexican of high stand
ing, who stated categorically that the
general robbed Chihuahuans of thou
sands of cattle and shipped them south
to his hacienda on special trains, which
were requisitioned ostensibly for mill
tary purposes.
"The general business proved so good
for the commander" my informant said,
that he has had his brother made a
general 80 that relatives also may
share in the shameful loot of Mexico
now open to the military"
GUARANTEES Pigeonholed
This story may be repeated in vary
ing forms about many Of Mexico's gen
erals. Much graft can be veneered with
excuses of military necessity of legiti-
mate business, but the fact Of the mat
ter is that any one so unfortunate as
to hold property in Mexico-foreign or
Mexican-unless he has influence with
the government or army, is paying the
this If he as an American-but he
can't find them. They have been
pigeonholed somewhere in the Ameri-
can State Department.
Americans never hear Of the flAgrant,
,unpunished murders committed even in
the City of Mexico by Carranzista Of
ficers. There is a Mexican government
censorship on all outgoing news dis
patches-and that is another story.
Not many weeks ago at the Mexico
City bull ring Jack Johnson, our we'll
known ebony, exiled and erstwhile
heavyweight champion, now sojourning
bout. A much be-uniformed Carranzista
colonel was referee. Some one in the
crowd disagreed with his decision. The
colonel did not have his weapon handy,
so he borrowed one from q spectator
and knocked his verbal antagonist down
with the butt of it before he turned it
around and pumped the PROSTATE one
full of lead.
Girl Kidnapped by General
On the Gale Francisco 1. Madero,
the very heart of Mexico City's busi-
ness section, there is large restaurant
operated by an American. The build
ing is that which formerly housed the
Mexican Jockey Club in the palmy days
of Diaz. The restaurant is fashionable
The prettiest little Mexican girls to
be found in the city are employed as
mattresses. Consuela was one Of these
up to few days ago. Consuela is just
fifteen and extremely pretty for q girl
of that age. Consuela's end as wal
tress happened something like this:
A large automobile drove up to the
side entrance as Consuela was entering
at o'clock to wait on dinner custom
ers. A hand reached out and caught
her just as she was entering the door.
With a scream she disappeared inside
the automobile. She dragged herself
back eventually, telling fragmentary
and hysterical story about being mis-
treated in large house in what was
once the Cientifico quarter.
Consuela's assailant was a Mexican
general now serving as representative
of the Mexican people in the Mexican
Chamber of Deputies. He is Mexi-
can lawmaker. No one paid any great
deal Of attention to the matter, and
was informed by numerous people that
such thing is rather common just
now.
The Mexican nation is groaning
under military despotism which is
bleeding it to death.
And the two leading candidates for
the Presidency in the coming Mexican
elections are generals.
What Mexico appears to need most
are education and immigration, not
factional strife and bullets. SO long
az militarism Is allowed to exist the
latter only are possible, in the opinion
of those who have been watching the
situation in internal Mexico of late.