held up five hours because of a destroyed bridge which was put together so poorly that four weeks later when I returned this way the engineer had to stop the train to test the bridge before pulling the passenger train across.
Railroad traffic between Vera Cruz and Mexico City is so poor that when I was ready to leave the capital for Vera Cruz a member of Mr. Carranza's cabinet told me to go north to Tampico because the line to Vera Cruz was not "safe."
The railway line between Tampico and Mexico City is not running because the bandits have destroyed some sections and because the Mexican Government cannot protect the trains.
The only repair work which is going on, so I was informed by American officials and other business men in the Republic, is that under the direction of foreign corporations.
In Monterey the Manager of the large Five Million Dollar Steel mills told me that he had to rebuild all locomotives and freight cars which his corporation used because the Mexican Government was not in a position to do so. He showed me about twelve freight cars in his shops which were being repaired and explained that under his contract with the government he had exclusive use of these cars for two years. I saw in his repair shops not less than five locomotives which his workmen were repairing. He stated that he had not only to rebuild the rolling stock but had to supply engineers, firemen and brakemen to operate the trains.
