New-York tribune., 1920-02-07
i. S. General
Sees No Hope
For Mexico
American Justice and Decen-
cy Affronted Beyond Re-
pair, Commander at Ell
PasO Tells Fall Committee
Conditions Are Intolerable
Ex.Trooper Tells of Mexican
Women Killing American
Wounded After Carrizal
By Wilbur Forrest
Special Dispatch to The Ty,byn~

'opectut DtSpdtch 10 he Tribune
Ell PASO, Tex, Feb. 6.-There is no
hope for Mexico in the hands of Meri-
cans. American justice and decencv
have been affronted beyond repair al
ready in Mexico, while murder, rapine
and destruction continue there. This
was the consensus of q statement made
to the Fall Senate committee here this
afternoon by Major General Robert L.
Howe, the American military com
mander of the Ell Paso district. Cen
eral Howe also presented the commit
tee with an official list showing that
eleven Americans have been killed and
seventeen wounded in the Ell Paso dis
trict alone during the last three years.
General Howe, a veteran of the
European war, gave the committee the
most scathing denunciation of Mexi-
can conditions yet presented by any
witness. Asked by Senator Fall to
state his opinion of the situation in
the southern republic, the general
said:
"Of and on during the last four
years | have had peculiar advantages
IN being able to see and know the
things. so far as concerns Americans
and foreignowned property, which
have happened on this side Of the Rio
Grande and in Mexico
II Will not undertake to describe
them-they are too numerous and al
ready we'll known. My conclusions
ought to be sufficient The intolerable
conditions, which have covered a pc
Rod of nearly ten years. have continu-
ally grown worse, and I am convinced
that the apex of shamefulness and
horror, as viewed from the American
conception of justice and decency, was
reached last fall-a condition which
still exists
Increased Hatred Against L. s.
"The Mexican government during
never, so far as | can determine, done
one genuinely friendly thing toward
our government. On the other hand,
the Mexican government, or its people,
have done no end of discourteous. oon-
temptuous and offensive things of Large
Importance toward our government and
our people.
"The result has been increased es-
arrangement and an increased hatred
against the people of the United States.
There are no end of reports showing
that Americ cans are being murdered or
captured and released on payment of
ransom. foreign owned properties are
being conhscated or practically de-
stroyed, Mexican bands are committing
horrible crimes and in isolated places
continue to make raids upon the per
sons and property of American citizen,
located on our side of the border.
Everywhere in Mexico, so far as car
be observed, there is lack of progres s
and murder, rapine and destruction
prevail. From our point of view there
is no evidence of constructive states
manshlp. We, who closely observe, be
ieve the future of Mexico, so far as
it affects US, is utterly hopeless if left
solely in the control of Mexicans.
Troops Along Border Sufficient
General Howe expressed his opin-
ion that border troops now on Land
were sufficient to handle any situation
which might arise. Answering aues-
tions put by Senator Fall the general
said: There is no way to determine
who are bandits and who are not in
Mexico Officlally we do not use the
term bandit Officially we treat them
all as Mexicans-M Mexican nationals
The generals remark was interpret
eo to mean that he placed Carran
zlstas, Nillistas and bandit troops al
IN the same category.
General Howe explained his part in
the Pershing expedition of 1916, de
c'aring he was ordered to proceed in
the direction of Carrizal after troop
OF the 10th United States Cavalry had
been ambushed and massacred there.
He said he was en- route to the vicinity
with about. 800 cavalrymen, when, af-
ter picking up several struggling col
cred troopers, he received orders to re-
turn to his starting point-the Santo