El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-12-28

the rebels; it demonstrates the lack OF
power of the nation, but it does not
mean that the rebels will gain VIC
tory. The condition has steadily
grown in favor of the insurrectos and
against the federal government From
a few small skirmishes in a few
towns when it opened, it has grown
to the proportions of a real war
with rebel government actually set
up in a large part of a. big state-for
the insurrectos in some of the towns
they hold, have put their officials in
charge and are conducting the affairs
of municipality and district with as
much dignity as their predecessors, the
federals, exercised-more, in most
cases. Every small town west of
Chihuahua is either in the hands Of
the insurrectos or could be taken at
any time. The federal government is
absolutely unable to guarantee pro-
lection; therefore, by all the rules of
law and warfare. a successful rebellion
has been established and a successful
rebel government has been set up. The
federals have been unable to retake
any of the towns invested by the in
surrectos save those which the insur-
rectos themselves abandoned after
their first stroke when they retired to
the hills and prepared to meet the
enemy when it came after them In
their own country, the rebels have been
able to hold every point of vantage
gained. They have the advantage over
the federal troops in several ways.
They are fighting for what they be-
lieve to be right; they are used TO the
mountains, accustomed to firearms,
and able to ride without fatigue; they
are also accustomed to living off the
country. And all this has occurred be-
cause they have the powder; without
it, things will change.
The Federal Troops.
The rank and file of the federal
army is only half-heartedly fighting
against the rebels. The soldiers are
mostly from the warmer regions and
are suffering from the cold nights.
Few of them are mounted: the foot
soldiers march only in sandals. The
jagged rocks cut their feet. Their
progress over the rough country is
slow, tortuous and tiresome. Marching
in an unfriendly country, they are hard
pressed many times for food. Har-
raised by attacks of small bands of
swift riding insurgents, they are con-
stantly terrorized and kept from rest
and slumber Many of the soldiers are
not accustomed to their firearms and
know little about shooting. Impartial
ICpOIlS 1IOll Iilc SNOW tndE
they know little about using their ar
tillery and that many of them know
absolutely nothing about their small
arms From an unbiased standpoint
the two armies being on an equal foot
ing as regards supplies and numbers
the advantage appears to be wholly
with the men of the mountains, but the
Mexican gOvernment-aS long as
peace reigns in other sections of the
country and it can risk withdrawing
its troops-will be able, by sheer
weight of numbers, to overpower the
the Mexican government
has almost unlimited means for secur-
ing ammunition and it is in a position
to prevent the rebels from securing
any more If it only holds this advan-
tage. Thus it appears that a superior
force will succumb to an in
ferior army because of lack of general
ship, because with all it's natural and
advantages il has allowed
itself TO be trapped, not through the
generalship of the enemy, but
through its own lack of it. The rebels
set their own trap an walked into It,
Federals' Loss Heaviest.
In all the fighting thus far, the loss
to the federals has been heaviest At
Puebla, where the first disturbance
occurred, the federals. lost most of the
killed; the same thing occurred at
Orizaba. Again at Gomez Palacio and