THE MEXICAN INFERNO

Otautau Standard and Wallace County Chronicle, Volume XI, Issue 522, 18 May 1915, Page 2

THE MEXICAN INFERNO

ONLY TWO KINDS OF OCCUPATION, " FIGHTING OR WEEPING." A correspondent sends the -London ' Times ' the following translation of a letter received from a Mexican lady occupying a prominent social position m the city of Mexico: — " It grieves me to tell you that bur position is now worse than ever. ' The state of cur country is awful. Our tenants pay us no rents, as they have no money themselves; and even if they had, we would have no remedy at law, for law courts ** no longer exist. Provisions are hardly procurable, and* we cannot even get bread. My husband goes about trying' to get some, and yesterday he succeeded m procuring two small loaves for 80 cents. We thought ourselves "Very lucky. My sister-in-law could not get any. The most absorbing subject of conversation m eyery home ;"s connected with food. Where did you get bread ? Have you any charcoal ? Can you get lard? etc., etc. "The country is overrun by the lawless bands cf different revolutionary chiefs, which take possession of a tewn, loot the Government offices, help themselves to anything they can get, and thai abandon the place, only to be followed by other bands who do the same thing. The paper money of one party ceases to be of p.ny value when the other set cr.raes m, and Aye find ourselves landed with absolutely worthless notes, with which we cannot procure even the necessaries of life. Oomirnercial houses and shops have closed their doors. Everything is paralysed. " There are only two kinds of occupations, and these are fighting or weeping. Unhappy Mexicans that we are ! Even dogs are happier m other, lauds. And* we who have children cannot even envisage death with calmness, for we . know not what horrors and dangers would be m store for our dear ones. Alas! unhappy Mexico! A country gifted with such immense natural wealth, with such a lovely climate, such a fertile soil! You m Europe have your troubles, but how different 'to ours! You are fighting for high ideals with hopes of success. We, on the other hand, are hopeless. No ray of light, however dim, comes to illuminate our black night."