Los Angeles herald., 1910-12-25
TAesociated Press1

ASSOCIATED Press1
CHIHUAHUA, Dec. PA special
representative of the Associated Press,
who has been with the insurrectos for
two weeks, returned today by mule
team. His judgment of the situation in
this state may be summarized in the
statement that General Navarro has
been fought back from the offensive
to the defensive, but that the rein
forcements now at hand viii crush the
rebellion within Il month or two.
In this connection it was stated today
that federal troops are now stationed
as follows: Six hundred under General
Navarro, al Pedernales and vicinity,
west of Nal PasO; 700 at San Antonio,
made up Of $40 who were uninjured in
the Nal Paso ambusCade: $40 reinforce
ments and 1900 who arrived here last
night and today. The latter include
a battery of artillery made up of two
light mOrtars for firing over hills, two
Hotchkiss guns and two rapid frers.
TROOPS PREPARE TO ENTRAIN
Twenty-Five passenger coaches are
now on the tracks of the Mexico &
Northwestern railroad to forward the
reinfOrCements. Today was spent in
loading food on the cars and in making
other preparations for the campaign.
These troops will go first to San An
tonic, making a new force of 200O, led
by the best officers in Mexico. 1t is
their program to take Mai PasO, the
present rebel stronghold. This once
taken, a junction will be formed with
Navarro and the troops which have
come overland from Sonora.
All this will entail serious fighting,
but there is no foreigner now here
viewing affairs impartially who pre-
tends q belief that the fedcrals will not
triumph eventually.
The insurrectos lost their one chance
of creating a nationwide revolt when
they failed to crush Navarro at Cerro
Prieto. At that time they did not have
their forces concentrated and Navarro
held his own. He is now strictly on
the defensive at Pedernales. While he
is under orders not to take the often
sive, he is in a position which the in
surrectos cannot attack without dis
aster.
INSURRECTOS HOLD POSITIONS
In the fighting around Pedernales and
the west entrance to Nal Paso the
insurrectos were much inferior in num-
bers but at Nal PasO they were su
perior in position. Two weeks ago
Sunday Navarro met the insurrectos at
Cerro PrietO and fought drawn bat
tie. He remained there till the fol-
loving Thursday, when he was ordered
to clear Nal PaSO of rebels to make
way for a prospective troop train.
With his entire force he left Cerrero
Prieto and marched with every SEM
bance of making an attack on the
we'll posted revOlutionists toward
opened fire, but their shots fell short.
Navarro then ordered a double quick
and shot off at an agile toward Peder-
males, four miles north.
For most Of the distance he was pro-
tected by low hills around which the
awakened "pronounciados" hurried
when they discovered his real obiec-
tive. When the hills were passed Ma
varro used shells on his pursuers, who
were running parallel and somewhat
behind, and kept them off. There was
no loss of life and Navarro occupied
the shelter of the adobe houses of the
town.
The next day Navarro occupied the
station. where he now has
headquarters. and at the same time
sent a detachment of AIS men to take
Nal Paso. These went astray and
found none of the enemy. This ac-
counts for Navarro's official report
that he had taken the pass. He thought
he had.
LOSS TO NAVARRO'S FORCE
Meanwhile the federal force at Ped
attacked, but repulsed. Ma
varro lost III this engagement about
twelve dead, including two officers
and twenty-five wounded. The insur-
rectos lost tWenty-one killed and forty
wounded.
During the fighting of Thursday and
Friday the shells of the federals did no
damage. The revolutionists in time be-
gan to treat them with contempt. The
Mausers were the effective weapons
used by the national troops The
used instead of scattering as
designed to do, through some defect
spouted like fountains. One of tho
shells burst within twenty feet of
without doing any dam
age. Word from Navarro's camp states
that the general grew incensed at the
failure of the gunnery and arrested the
gun captain.
The insurrecto detachment which
held up the troop train at the eastern
entrance to Nal PasO numbered about
zoo men. The ambuscade cost the
enemy two killed and two wounded.
The federal loss is now known to have
been about thirty-one killed and seven
ty-one wounded.
Arrivals from the front today
brought confirmation of the statement
that Navarro executed a number of
civilians at Cerrero PrietO. The num-
ber is given as rty-two-tWentytw
in the village proper and ten at ham,
let nearby. The story was told here
today with convincing detail.
Last Saturday the reVolutionists ex-
ecuted ten prisoners as a retaliatory
measure. These were loyalists taken
at Guerrero three or four weeks ago.
They were given trial of rough sort
and convicted of treachery while be-
ing allowed the consideration of neu-
trails. When the revolutionists became
doubly certain of the executions at Ger
zero Prieto they shot their own cap
tives. The execution occurred at a
hamlet between La Junta and Guer-
rnrO-