The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1924-05-14
"The proletariat, the workers." he
proclaimed. m1ite eloouen+lv

The proletariat, the workers." he
proclaimed, quite eloquently.
| showed interest - quite a lot o.
interest. l wondered if Smith was
anything like an old newspaper ac-
q~ualntance OF min WHO grated on the
woes of the proietariat and the wond-
ers Of socialism at the least provOca
ton. No, he was not like that. But
! saw soon enough he wouldn't object
20 converting me 20 something if he
got the slightest encouragement. He
explained that he was a communist,
that ne was engaged in Mexico in the
promotion Of communism, that Tampi-
{ o at the time was virtually in con-
troll OF the revoiutiCnists Of that faith.
He talked a great deal about COM
munist principles, the Russian revolu-
ton, the soviet government of Rus
STA, Karl Marx, Lenine, Trotzky and
other popular heroes of the newer
phases of the world radical move
ment. He had come TO Tampico, he
said, from Mexico City on a mission
connected with the organization of
railroad workers. Quite frankly he
told me about the destruction of the
Tampico railway station which had
then but recently occurred.
"All the lesser oil operators have
been driven out of this section now"
he said, land we'll be getting rid of
the big fellows, too, in time. It's al
ready costing them so much to operate
they can't make any money to amount
to anything"
This vas all very interesting to me,
and my new acquaintance was so out
spoken about it l wondered at his con-
fdence in me. He delivered himself
so ~eloquently Of the Russian govern
ment, undoubtedly with the homo of
converting me, but his connection with
actual violence there in Tampico SEEM
ed to me nothing TO be boosted about
so openly.
ooh, Pm perfectly SAFE" he told
me. "I'm one of the majority, here,
} and if they send any troops down
from Mexico City we'll probably con-
t vert them, too"
A new railroad station was in the
( course of construction while l was II
Tampico. Soon after l left, it was
{ Jos+rovvoJ 90 MO- 4bo LII - o,C
troops which Oregon had sent there
to maintain order, having joined tn,
rebels, helped burn the station anC
l participated in the subsequent cele
bration of the event.
I got better acquainted with Smith
l. later on in Mexico City. He was still
I in Tampico when I left there, an,
gave ME a bit of travelling advice.
i regard it as quite valuable. An uppe
berth is rather to be chosen in
sleeping car in Mexico than a lowe
berth. Bullets are too frequent.
u penetrating the glass windows, befOr
q which the lower berths are laid out
q It's much safer in an upper berth
ID Taking Smiths tip, 1 Travelled t.
n Mexico City in an upper. There wer
two day coaches, a sleeper and a spe
L cial car for soldiers ~escorting tn
lie train. From Tampico to Mexico Cit
y was a 48-hour run. The speed lin
was II miles an hour. It was one
g the trains on one of Mexico's govern
ID ment owned, government operate
T. railways.
Arriving in Mexico City, 1 found
station porter already firmly attacht
e to my hand luggage. My trunk, rOl
or ed and sealed by a government ager
OF l ordered sent to the Regis hott
ng The porter tossed my grip into a ta1
cab and directed me peremptorily
les enter. l did so and was driven to t
hotel-by two taxi drivers.
ny CONTINUED Next Week.