up his hand. The car stopped and the soldiers stood at attention.
"Is this the automobile which was ordered to stop a few hours ago while passing here?" the officer asked.
The British officials expected a summary execution, but, having experienced excitement before, decided to preserve their calm.
"Yes, Señor Captain," replied an Englishman, "we were ordered to stop and we did. . . ."
His explanation was interrupted.
"All right, Senor," politely answered the officer. "I wish to inform you that discipline has been maintained. You may go, gentlemen."
Soldiers still at attention, the automobile departed, but the foreigners could not understand whether they or the soldier had been disciplined. Inquiries the next day disclosed that the soldier had been shot for giving an order without orders from an officer. Discipline was maintained by execution.
It is not always the soldiers, however, who are to be blamed. I met the manager of a large American corporation who, for two years, had been paying tribute to six generals. Their price for "protecting" his property had been between three thousand and seven thousand pesos, at intervals determined by officers. Automobiles were then being shipped into Mexico City by the dozens and the generals asked this manager for six autos. This manager telegraphed to Detroit for the cars
