San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1924-03-30
Controversy Assumes In
ternational Proportions
When Cops Try to Arrest
ENJOYS Wife When She
Goes After Her Bag.
By GRAHAM STEPHENS.

Copyright, 1924, by Consol Press Assn
Los Angeles, Cal, March 29.-The
laundry bag in which the Sonora +.
Calderon Avila sends off the fried
shirts and other sartorial accoutre-
ments of her husband, the Guatemalan
| consul at the port of Los Angeles,
has become the piece de resistance in
that bugaboo of international relations
"a diplomatic incident"
The fact that the United States is
not at grips, or at least at swords
points, with Guatemala over that
striped bag and the events in which
it has figured recently, undoubtedly is
due to the indulgence and forbear-
ance of the handsome and charming
Sonora Avilla
Even with the Sonora Avilla's in
diligence, it has required the good
offices of the United States Depart
ment of State, the Guatemalan mill
lister at Washington and long list
of other officials down the line to
handle the international complications.
and, through profuse apologies, to
iron out the offending ruffles of mis-
understanding over the Ayilla laundry
bag.
Went After Her Laundry.
The Senior Avilla and the Sonora
have been living at Monrovia. q
suburb Of Los Angeles. on account OF
the senor's impaired health. Recent
appeared at the dor of their home
with a bag from the laundry. Sonora
Avilla in person opened the door. For
hn nj rafnina1 tha
package and drove off with it.
office and called for the manager TO
settle the dispute. She waited for
TIL ee-quarters of an hour. She COM
pains that not even civil treatment
VAS accorded her by the employees,
and that the driver of the wagon,
happening in at the time, had the au-
Gacity TO smile at her.
Il wanted my laundry" says the
Sonora Avilla. Il called up the po-
lice and asked them to help me. They
tod me to hire q lawyer, and the Of
ficer answering the telephone even
laughed and said: Any way you fix
it up with the laundry will be all
right with us"
Il was nervous and the action Of
the police upset me-" continued Sonora
Avilla. IL just seized what | thought
was my bundle of laundry and went
home. | got the wrong bundle by
mistake"
Tried to Arrest Her.
The result was that the laundry
man swore out a warrant for the
Sonora Avilla. charging petty lar
ceny and the next thing was a visit
of four big policemen to the Avilla
ZONE to arrest the Sonora.
Il told them that l was the wife of
the consul of Guatemala and immune
from arrest on matter of this sort, :"
explained Sonora Avilla. And do
you know what one of them said? He
said, i don't give a damn who you
are. You are coming with u.s.
Senior Avilla stepped in at this
moment, standing upon his rights as
consul of Guatemala and warning the
four policemen of the consequences of
their contemplated action. The warn
ing had its effect, as the four of them
departed without further words.
But Senior Avilla was not through
with the matter. He made represcn-
tations to the Guatemalan minister at
Washington and the minister gravely
laid the case before the State De-
partment. Then the case came back
to Governor Richardson, who re-
quested the district attorney to in
vestigate thoroughly and report
Deputy District Attorney Joos ami
Investigator J. +. Smith went over
the ground. and have reported back
to the district attorney.
The district attorney will forward
the report to Governor Richardson
who Wa dispatch it to the State De
partmept. where it will be laid before
Secretary of State Hughes who prob
ably viii carry it over to the White
House for conference with the Presi-