New-York tribune., 1920-01-12
Federal Army Reluctant
to Round Up Outlaws,
Foreseeing Loss of Jobs
and Loot as Result
Foreigners Trapped
Between Two Fires
Americans More Fearful
of Carranzista Troops
Than TheyAre of Rebels
By Wilbur Forrest

copyright. 1920. New York Tribune Inc)
SAN ANTONIO, Tex, Jan. IL
American property holders in Mexico
and other citizens forced through busi-
ness to remain there are living in
something closely akin to a reign of
terror, or, more strictly speaking, in an
era OF hope-hope that something will
happen soon to correct an intolerable
situation.
Respect for international rights.
American rights, Chinese rights or
any other character of rights-seems
to have ceased to exist in Mexico.
Mexico is deep in the power of a
greater evil than peonage, which the
ever-present revolution sought to de-
stroy. Mexico to-day appears to suffer
loathsome form of disease of mill
tar'sm, with a. secondary malady-
banditry and lawlessness-contrib
ing to the disorder. The two are
closely linked, and together they are
gnawlng into the very vitals of per-
haps the richest nation in the world.
Militarism Excuse for Banditry
Mexico's banditry is the excuse for
Mexico's militarism, and to one man
Who has just completed q forty-day
trip in the interior of Mexico, with
both eyes constantly open for obserya-
ton, it is all apparent that Mexico's
militarism is also the excuse for Mex
lco's banditry. Between the two. and
adding to them the utter contempt with
which the Carranza government re-
CARDS the United States government
to-day, it is simple enough to reason
out why foreigners in Mexico, and es-
peclally foreigners owning or control
ing plantations, mines, oil properties,
factories or other holdings outside of
cities where communal protection gives
tnem some guaranty Of safety, have
no rights nor can expect to have rights
under existing conditions.
To state the situation in briefer
palmer words:
IT the military class, which is over
running Mexico to-day in regime of
unpunished murder, theft and outrage.
wiped out the bandits the military class
would lose its job, it's terroristic pres
tilge and its present opportunity to
bleed Mexico-foreigners and Mexi-
cans lncluded-an opportunity of which
1T is taking full advantage.
Federal Troops Feared
l talked to scores Of Americans. doz-
ems of Englishmen and variously with
Frenchmen, Spaniards and even Mexi-
cans during my trip in Mexico, who
confirmed that their fear of Carran-
zista troops, especially officers. is more
than their fear Of Mexican bandits.
Many of my informants have been men
either owning or managing properties
IN which American or foreign capital is
invested. Most all of them have
spoken frankly, but in undertoncs, and
lmplored me not to mention their names
in anything that I may write. To do
50, they explained, would be to incur
the displeasure of the Carranzista gov
ernment and army and could result in
anything from death down to expulsion
from Mexico.
Virtually all these property holders,
or custodians, pay toll in gold coin to
the rebels for protection" Some of
them pay at random when the rebels
demand it and others pay stipulated
sums at monthly intervals. Paying
for rebel protection" means guar
anty that the rebels will allow them to
plant and harvest their crops, work
their mines, drill their oil wells or
carry on any line of business they are
interested in.
Between Two Fires
Usually, after the rebels have been
paid the troops appear and, under the
gulse of giving protection, they de-
mand acquisitions of horses, cattle,
forage or money. To refuse the
rebels their "due" means death and de-
struction of property. To refuse the
troops their "due" means the very same
thing. Men can be shot and property
destroyed with Carranzista government
bullets and firebrands as easy as with
rebel lead and fire. They all look the
same, these rebels and regulars. The
property holder in Mexico cannot tell
l have heard related from the lips of
those who hace suffered, the property
holder is paying both rebel and regular,
or whatever he happens to call himself
when he calls to collect his due"
On several occasions / have obtained
almost positive proof that the rebels
and troops, operating in the same re-
gion, have been in working agreement
1t Is open talk in Mexico that virtu-
ally all Mexican army generals and even
officers of lower rank are rich. Two or
three years ago some Of them were
driving mule cars or peddling milk.
Villa Shares Loot
A certain Carranzista general. I was
informed by Mexican in a position to
know, operated until about six months
ago against Villa in Chihuahua. During
his command there Villa was most docile
and hardly noticeable for his outrages.
The reason for this, the informant de-
clared, was that this general and Villa
were sharing the profits. As to the
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