ZAPATA.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10440, 20 April 1912, Page 1

ZAPATA.

The Mexican Attila. (By RICHARD BARRY in " Harper's Weekly.") In the Spanish newspapers published in tho City of Mexico, Zapata, the bandit, who is now terrorising three or four States, is frequently referred to as " the Attila of the South." This is, perhaps, a grandiose phrase to apply to an outlaw in a professedly civilised country. In Mexico the Latin sense of romantic drama has become mere absurd sensationalism where it is not degenerate deviltry, and to apotheosise a brigand until he is compared even by the authorities which are seeking his destruction to one of the great generals of ancient history is entirely in keeping with the generally debauched perspective. However, Zapata is no common bandit, if only because of the extent of his depredations and the continuity of his outlawry. HIS HISTORY. IS STARTLING. One day in December,* 1910, there entered Madero's camp in northern Sonora a dashing fellow less than thirty years of age. The slouchiness, the laziness, the stupidity and the cowardliness of the average Mexican were absent from his make-up. Instead, Zapata was lithe in figure, mentally quick, and decisive in manner. These qualities being the opposite of Madero's own, and matched elsewhere in the revolutionists' camp only by Orozco, Madero's chief of staff, the recruit made an instant impression. The information ho brought, however, was more telling than his person. He declared that his native State of Morelos, next to the smallest in the republic, but very populous and with its eastern border contiguous to the State of Mexico, was ready to rise against Diaz at any moment—in- fact, as soon as arms and ammunition and a suitable leader were supplied to its inhabitants. Madero thereupon caused Zapata to be furnished with the war material he desired, nnd the intrepid young rebel started south on what then seemed a desperate. adventure, hut which proved to be the splendid career of a revolutionary conqueror. His operations in tho States of Moreios, Oaxaca and Guerrero, in which he burned haciendas, looted villages, killed foreigners and routed the continuous detachments of federal troops sent against him, covering the first four months of 1911, formed a conclusive argument in forcing Diaz to resign. Even the newspapers avowedly loyal to Diaz referred to Zapata in big red headlines as " The Scourge." The story of that four months' hard work would fill a volume, but it is of Zapata, the bandit of today, rather than of Zapata, the rebel, of last year, that I intend to tell hero. When peace had been declared, .Madero sent word to Zapata to lay down his arms. Zapata's answer was to ride into tho little town of Xuatitl at the head of a band of lawless men who could never have been called an army save.by .

THE EUPHEMISM OF A DESPEIUTB POLITICIAN, rout the small federal garrison, loot the stores, and kill all who opposed him, as well as a number of innocent Mexicans who merely happened to have the illluck to get in the path of the invaders' bullets. Shortly after this, on May 27, Diaz, who in his prime would have known how to deal promptly and effectively with such a desperado, left the shores of his troubled country. A week later his successor entered the City of Mexico as a private citizen and took up an unofficial residence, from which, ostensibly, he passively awaited the outcome of the fall elections, but from which, in fact, he issued the executive orders and made the proprietary appeals which, alter his inauguration, issued constantly from the presidential palace. One of i.!adero's first moves was to send for Zapata, who promptly came into the city to see him. "Don Paneho" (a popular derivative of Mr Francesco, which is Madero's first name) " implored''—to use tho phrase of his vociferous journalistic applauders—Zapata to ceass fighting; and lay down his arms. and he promised that if this were done the young leader should have a substantial place in the Government forces ou'co the elections were over. Zapata agreed to all that lie wa--, " implored " to do, but, before he 'eft the city, he induced' Madero to advance him 30,000 pesos (about £3000). This advance was from Madero's private funds, as at that time ho had NO LEGAL WAY OF BEACHING THE PUBLIC EXCHEQUER. "Within, a fortnight "the hordes of Zapata," as they have ever since been called by the Mexican yellow Press, were loose again, and the " Attila of the South " had begun his newer and more glorious career. By the middle of July the numbers which had risen at his 'command were incalculable, and "El Mexicano Heraldo" published a news despatch from Morelo reporting that ho had an " army " of 10,000 men. Early in August "El Imparcial" reported that he had 120,000 men under his command. The provisional government, under Do La Bana, made a number of futile efforts to stop the depredations, which differed from those made when Diaz was still in the presidential chair only in their accelorated ferocity. However, instead of making a swift campaign after the person of Zapata, arresting him promptly, and executing him following n hurried court-martial, as Diaz would doubtless havo done, tho orders issued against him were merely defensive. The Federal garrisons in the various towns were ordered to be on tho watch for him and to " resist " his approach. The effect of this, in several cases at least, was to make certain lesser Federal officers ignore thy coming of Zapata, in reward of which ieuor-

anco they received a share of the booty that the bandit was thus enabled to take from the more prosperous townspeople. On the very day when Madao was inaugurated President, N'D'-embe;' 6, the'various bands which were operating under Zapata broke loose in eleven different places in the States of Morel, s, Oaxaca and Guerrero. Whether by design or accident, it seemed ?.s if THE WJLY AND AUDACIOUS BAXDIT were determined to serve a formal and terrible notice that his former chief must walk the plajik which Diaz had walked. Since then, every few days, there is reported a "raid." or an "outbreak," or a "battle" in which Zapata is almost invariably the victor. In the Federal reports these affairs are " battles" ; in tlie political language of the capital they are " raids," and in the mouths of the anti-Maderistas they are " outbreaks." The whole State of Morelos is now practically under the control of Zapata. By "control" I do not mean that he has any organised political or even military government. It would be more accurate to. say that he has the State terrorised. The Federal Governor no longer dares to maintain a permanent residence; several of the cities have been depopulated through the inhabitants hearing of Zapata's approach and fleeing to the hills, leaving their goods and chattels behind; while practically all the foreigners havo left. Early in December Zapata started out at the head of a marauding band of Serhaps a thousand lawless followers, etermined to "throw a scare" into the city of Mexico. He rede within sis;ht of the city, set on fire three small villages, and rode away again. The smoke from his devastation could be seen from the .spires of the cathedrals in the capital. He then made a long detour to the west and south, and on Christmas Day again' appeared near Tenancingo, in the State of Mexico, within easy telephone distance of the city. There he overtook twenty rurales, and killed thirteen of them, the rest escaping. Some women, wives of the rurales, and. a child, who witnessed the butchery and protested, were killed, and

THEIR BODIES WERE THEX MUTILATED. Whatever becomes of Zapata—and there must-'be some end to him soon, or else he will accomplish what is freely asserted as being his object, the amassment of a large amount of money with which he will flee abroad—he will doubtless go down in history as the most remarkable bandit the North American continent has ever. seen. The United States has had remarkable outlaws, but none which ever threatened the life of the general Government itself. Mexico has had bandits of many kinds and degrees, but none before whose scope of operations has been so wide or whose magnified outlawry has been so continuous and so audacious. At the same time, Zapata may not be called either a politician or a general. It is not apparent that he has any desire for office; and his military discipline is purely Corsican ; formally he appoints no subordinates, ho has no roilcalls, no drill, no organisation. His success is due to the intensity of his personality and the weakness of the present Government of Mexico. He creates a follower in the simplest manner—by handing him a rifle. A firearm in Mexico means wealth and power. To give one to a peon at once makes him a de facto government in himself. Killing him is the only effective answer to his invincible belief that, by grace of his rifle, he has as many rights as "Don Pancho" himself. The only political reason for Zapata's increased strength since Madero's inauguration lies in the fact that Madero

INDULGED IN SLANT EXTRAVAGANT PROMISES

before his revolution w-as successful. He assured the people that if they would drive out Diaz and place him in power he would divide up the great estates and place them under the ownership of the whole people. Of course he has not fulfilled these promises, and the result is that Zapata finds an easy and effective argument to use with many who might otherwise hesitate to become mero outlaws. "As Don Pancho has not given you what is yours," says Zapata, in effect. " take this rifle and follow mo and I will give you what you have been promised and have not received." Thus Madero's false political preaching has reacted.

A lnrge number of foreigners holding property in Southern Mexico have been forced to "contribute" to Zapata, who

evidently possesses the cool suavity of tho traditional bandit as well as the ferocious cunning. These "contributions" are made in the hopo that thus devastation and murder may be avoided, though they are not always successful.