| Show A ci A ZOns in n Mexican Service eg Il en H o Q ire Are Enrolled in the Armies ies I Per Performing the Same Duties as Their T Male Comrades and Sharing the Same Con COll- COllI Constant I stant Danger o of 0 Death O r from European war var accounts there filters through the stor story of or a woman woman woman wom wom- an who masquerading In mans man's attire atthe has hac gone to the tho front and done her bit Emphasis is given to these instances because the they arc are rare Rus Russia ln ant and the Balkan states have been the usual theatres of or action where this t typo pc of or feminine heroism has been staged c X f T To the south of ot us UR us In revolution revolution- ridden Mexico hundreds of ot women are arc enrolled In the various factions and perform exactly the same duties as theIr in brothers The writer has seen women with their rifles over their shoulders cartridge belts strung acro across s their chests barefooted and hatless marching inarching with the lined Mexican Infantry ana and galloping on their undersized ponies with the b better trained cavalry and sitting unconcernedly unconcernedly unconcernedly un un- concernedly on the nose of or a a. field fieldpiece fieldpiece piece as it pulled out of ot Mexico City to move Into the Morelos campaign I against Zapato Zapata or women soldiers to distinguish them from the rw r men soldiers is the appellation with which the these c modern Amazons have been heen christened In Mexico A Mexican arm arm army officer told the writer that in some ways was the these e women women wom wom- en mal make e better soldiers than men They are more amenable to discipline he Braid fald take talce more inure pride in being a soldier and holding arms against the enemy bear boar hardship and privation more uncomplainingly and are more sincere and devoted to the revolutionary revolution revolution- ar ary principles the they profess proCess As would be natural naturel he fal said the they are lam lamentably weak eak In marksman marksman- sli ship p But In view of the the tact fact that the Mexican lIol soldier says I I only pull the trigger and allow God to direct the bullet Jt It would would appear that the sol sol- dad era would be equally as effective with the rifle as the philosophic sol aol dado The Tho religious philosophy among the Indians which almost wholly makeup make makeup up the armies In Mexico is believed by some to bo lo a gross distortion of orthe the Catholic faith the national religion The soldiers whether fighting with 0 revolutionists or the government go army all wear small but gau painted gaudily pic pictures l u- u f tur tures s of the Virgin of Guadalupe t ho hot t patron sofa saint of or Mexico In Inthe the front r rr r of ot their hats hats thus thus Insuring protection e Lion tion from the thc God-directed God bullets t The are not Interesting r r N if i t hi l i iS X r t i O t J. o tr i vr t y Y L t A yr t r i 4 i rr 75 a g R k w r h Iq F ah aa S i F V lk lt l tj j A. v. v ci X X Jf l J c 4 f r 1 h. h t i rw I K i Pr tr s t y r. r w I A k fi J Ji l f iJ 1 I r r. r tt D i t f A t r. r f w r tt f. f t I Jt S 'S t x I f C J K I j V 0 A I t tJ i f l J ff s f r J 1 t l y d t t r. r a t t t I 4 S 'S 3 rj I t 0 i fi Y J t o ic J V i f 4 A x l 1 7 z i w l Y mr 1 A s 2 i X fl 1 i. i IX 1 Jit 5 g t m v tf S I T 4 f fJ 4 I v rl h i ji a 2 4 J. J t JI Co Col Ramona Flores Carmen Valdez from Crom a picturesque viewpoint fe because because I their costume is s disappointingly commonplace com corn In action the they usually wear the 1 regulation khaki breeches and leggins leg leg- eggins eg- eg I gins made for the men men and patterned I from flom the uniforms of or tho the United States I soldiers On the field of ot battle the they cannot be distinguished from the soldados soldados soldados sol dados but when traveling or off ote asI active as- as I tive duty the they don clon a n skirt and blanket The presence of ot women In the ranks s sor of or the soldiers is a logical development development development develop develop- ment o of the quartermaster departments departments departments depart depart- ments of these revolutionary rc armies In the American conception of ot tho the term there is really no such branch of ot the service ser for tor there is no one ono corps that attends to the provisioning pro of ot the arm army Each man mun Is 18 his own quartermaster quartermaster quarter quarter- master maRter and he regulates the department department depart depart- I ment by placing a woman In charge whose whoso duty Is to provide pro for tor her herman herman nl man n. n And Ana so virtually for every man carrying carrying carrying car car- arms In Mexico today there Is a woman at his side w all his I hardships and doing all the work worl of ot drudgery Of or course custom Is an Inheritance from their Indian parentage parent parent- age c c More lore than six Mexican women have havo risen to the rank ranI of ot colonel in th the constitutionalist con con I arm army or or oras as it Is now called the government gO forces fOlce There have been man many majors and a largo number of captains and lieutenants They Ther receive the salary alary that their theil commissions commissions commissions com com- missions entitle them to from the Carranza Carranza Carranza Car- Car ranza government Not lung long a ago o the minister of ot war Is Issued Issued issued Is- Is sued an nn order forbidding the thc issuance nce of ot commissions as officers to women While praising praising- them for the patriotic work worl the they had do done dOlie e to further the ends of the revolution he said he believed be- be believed be be- lIe cd the tho time had arrived when It w was s no longer necessary ar for the men of ot the thc country to exact such a sacrifice sacrifice fice However this order has been given scant attention and women still continue to wear weal the epaulets Perhaps the most picturesque wo worn worn- m- m an colonel In Mexico toll today a is Ramona Flores Recently before leaving Mexico Mex Mex- ico leo City to conduct a n campaign on the west coast against she gave gac an Interview for tor the papers In which she accused her fellow male officers of ot reporting to headquarters Imaginary battles battles' and fictitious triumphs over o the enemy n order to gain credit for tor themselves In the tho war ivar office She pointed out that the personal glory glory- thus obtained for the officer was more than offset b by the effect It had on- on the public mind In that It made the enemies of the government government government gov gov- appear more formidable than I thc they really really- were It is said she was i challen challenged ed to fight a a. duel by some valiant officer who declared declared she sho had him In mind when she made the ac ac- f j k c The writer TIter had a n short chat with her while she was In Mexico City She is not educated in ht the sense of ot being book learned but she site has a strong personality personality per per- and a native ability that has I I r Ramona Flores Who zO Has Ha Become e a Colonel Colon el and Carmen Car Car- men Valdez aldez V Valiant S SO Sola- Sola l dera der and Their ter Work i J j 1 been developed developer b by the stirring life lite she sic has ledI led 1 I see sec no reason she said ald why women and especially Mexican n worn wom women en should not fight tight for tor their count countr country 1 I when the occasion demands W We e e ha hate i suffered more than the men our our j slavery has been more degrading and 1 j 1 unmerciful Our Spanish oppressors never tried to raise us from the po post I- I t 1 I tion Uon we lye held among savage age tribes We re 4 have ha worked ah a always s 's s lII like e oxen with pith n no 1 oJ 1 chance to better bettel ourselves The revolution re has has' thrown has open open the door 1001 of light and we women hO who are fighting are only showing that iare w i- v are as much entitled to emancipation emancipation- as the men Our aim Is to raise oUr ourselves f et s above e. 1 tho the degrading degrading- position of ot being a mere Y chattel You YOli American women understand understand under under- stand this but bute wo We Mexican women ar are in practically the same po position tion gas as S' S I Christianity found pagan women S So you see BCe there I is much to accomplish Many i stories ar are told In Mexico Hi that at illustrate the personal bravery brayer of ot these women It is admitted in the arm army army that for Cor a reckless disregard for tot their own oun life iCe and an nn utter contempt pt i for or J danger dangel they have ha proved Iro superior to tc the men It is told of or Colonel Flores Fiores that with but t ent twenty men behind her her hershe I P. P she t S stormed a breastwork defended b by more than men and captured two nH ma machine hIne guns J 1 |
