MEXICAN WATER FAMINE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16905, 2 December 1922, Page 12

MEXICAN WATER FAMINE.

TRAGEDY IN CAPITAL. ■ By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright Australian and N.Z. Cable Aesociati^i. NEW YORK, December 1. The. “ New York Times ” Mexico City correspondent states : “ The protracted drought, which has universally af- j fee ted all North America, resulted in a j terrible tragedy here to-day. This city, of nearly a million inhabitants, through the lack of water last week, has suffered the tortures of the damned. Working men to-day marched through the main street to the City Ilall, shouting, ‘Give us water!' They found the building strongly guarded by police. The crowd surged towards the building. The police fired, and the guard on the roof and in a side street poured a heavy' fusilade into the populace. The crowd returned the fire.” The correspondent saw twelve dead The leaders then captured several policemen, and marched them to the Mexican capitol, where the crowd explained the occurrence to the legislature. Business throughout the city has ceased to-night, and merchants are covering their shop windows with heavy steel shutters, in expectation of furthen trouble. MARTIAL LAW PROCLAIMED NEW YORK, December 1. The city of Mexico is now in a vast turmoil. Rioting has occurred in many quarters, an-'l fifty have already been killed and two hundred wounded. The casualties arc growing every hour, and the police are powerless. The Federal Government has ordered out the troops, and martial law has been proclaimed. The drought, which left the city water supply very low, also caused a derangement of the city water plant, with the result, that it ceased to function. The council and aldermen took no steps to repair the plant, and petitions, printing out that the inhabitants were suffering, bad little effect upon the councillors, who engaged in a long wrangle over unimportant matters.