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Show Mexico Facing ' General Famine Declares Conditions Have Been Understated. Un-derstated. Relief Steps Are Blocked Washington, July 7. Thousands of Mexican noncombatants hav eeaton nothing but natlvo fru.ts for months; whero famine Is not ravaging, It Is impending, nnd only a hunger truco Ifctwteii tho warring factions can save tho lives ot a multitude, according accord-ing to a report to the American Hed Crobs dated July 2. The report follows: "After six days Journoy of about COO miles through northern Mexico, Including largo portions of tho states of Nuevo Leon, Tnmaulpa s, I am compelled com-pelled to stato thnt famine conditions existing have been understated rather rath-er than exaggerated. Whore 'amino is not ravaging today, Micro It Is impending; im-pending; where land Is not already famine stricken thero starvation draws over nearer. Meager corn crop In sight will not feed halt tho people nnd great amount of It has been or will be taken by m'lltary authorities whose needs aro only slightly less pressing than those ot civilian population. popula-tion. Subsist on Wild Fruits "Careful, Intelligent Red Cross distribution dis-tribution under Consul General Han-na, Han-na, which I witnessed at Monterey, has filled thousands of stomachs tnd saved hundreds of lives, but In .ess accessible regions of tit's stato, ouch as the territory for fifty miles around Soto La Marina, thousands havo eat-ten eat-ten nothing but wild frultB for Ji oaths past. Hopeful view taken by somo Is to the effect that prevailing famlno conditions aro not duo to agricultural or economic conditions, but are caused caus-ed by constant military opcrat'ons and consequent Interruption ot communication com-munication between tho moro produc-tlco produc-tlco and more populous sections of the country. Suggests Hunger Truce "if this vlow proves well founded a hunger truco between tho factions might save tho hundreds of thousands of lives now menaced. It a hunger truco cannot ho arranged food will have to be brought from outsldb. Perfect Per-fect agreement among all Mexicans this section and hoping that American autnorit:es win nnd means to stop criminal exploitation of foodstuffs from this famlno land whllo the country coun-try was skinned ot bulk of Its products, prod-ucts, months ago. Some provisions aro still trickling over tho border into land of plenty." Measures for tho relief of noncombatants noncom-batants in tho republic wero continued today as far as conditions permitted. Consul General Hana at Monterey reported re-ported to tho Red Cross that ho was feeding 1C.00O persons from American relief supplies. Miss Mabel Boardman of tho Red Cross asserted thoro had been lack of cooperation by both Villa and enrran-za enrran-za officers to forward supplies except at such Isolated places ns Monterey and Monclova. i Mexico City Riots Checked Dispatches from Mexico City received re-ceived by tho state department to-night to-night dated July 4 and transmitted by courier to Vora Vruz announced that food riots In the capital had been i checked and a general Improvement ! In conditions had occurred. Shortage. I of food wns still serious, however, nnd the dispatches said a feeling of unrest that was likely to lead to chaos, prevailed. pre-vailed. At tho time tho courier left General Gener-al Pablo Gonzales, commanding tho attacking Carranza army was waiting for reinforcements. Messages from Vera Cruz slnco then havo stated that tho assault upon tho Zapata garrison was ronowed Monday, July 5. Although tho Zapata forces nro said to number about 25,000 mon, thoy nro short of arms and ammunition and officials of-ficials hero would not bo surprised to hoar at any tlmo that thoy had evacuated or been driven from tho city. General Carranza has given 1 assurances that every consideration will bo Bhown foreigners nnd other I noncombatants by his army. I A dispatch dated July 5 from San Luis Potosl states that Guannjunto has boon occupied by Villa troops. It is stated that this will permit tho exit of Americans there by way of Aguas Callontos. Tho San Luis Po-tosl Po-tosl tjlstrjct is quiet. It Is reported that tho Villa forces havo also recovered re-covered tho towns of Codral and Ma-tehuata. Ma-tehuata. The Carranza agency announced the receipt of a dispatch declaring tho Villa army had been completely routed rout-ed by the Carranza forcos at Villa Garcia between Monterey nnd Paro-don. Paro-don. Villa forces wero sa'd to havo suffered a loss of COO killed and wounded. woun-ded. The ngoncy added that a socontt fight nearer Paredon also had rosult-ed rosult-ed in a Carranza success. |