The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-05-11
Recognition of Belligerancy By U. s. Most Important
 Now to MaderO
ALL U. s. OFFICIALS
 MAINTAIN SILENCE
Believed the Next Move Will Be Att tack on Capital as Soon as He Can Secure Some Source
 of Supplies

Washington, May 10.-News of the fall of Juarez came to official Washington from various sources-from the secret ser vice agents of the department of justice wno have been watching the border; from the collector of customs In Fl Paso and from the signal service men of the army The army authorities here believe Gen eral Navarros soldiers who have stood nearly a year of field work and conse- cuently may be regarded as veterans were more than match for consider ably larger number of untrained and Ill., organized rebels To their mind it was evident that there had been lack of information as to the real numerit- -l strength of the Madero force.
 Whatever the number might have been 1t Is now anticipated that 1t will soon be largely augmented. The news of Maderos victory will spread rapidly throughout Mexico, and without doubt recruits Will swarm into his camp. Logically, with heavy endorsements, his next move would be a march onto the capital itself, incidentally stopping on the way to be- siege and capture all of the considerable cities and towns in his path.
 There will be one formidable obstacle to such campaign, the difficulty of arm ing and supplying with ammunition his augmented forces. He can scarcely ob- tain these supplies from Texas for the administration holds to it's decision that arms cannot be permitted to go to the rebels across the line before recognition Of the beligerency of the Maderosts Arms and munitions of war cannot be other wise gotten to Maderos army until he captures some seaport and establishes safe lines of communication with it.
 
 Recognition Important
 So this question of the recognition or his belligerency assumes the first degree of importance to Madero, and an effort to secure such recognition from the state department is expected. Indications are that such a request will not be granted
 There is this serious objection to doing so. By that act the Diaz government would be relieved of all pecuniary respon- sibility for any damage inflicted upon Americans by the rebel operations.
 The large American business interests in Mexico which have suffered severely for the present at least.
 by the insurrection would raise a strong protest against the adoption of a course that would prevent them from reimburse Inent for their losses. Another consider alton is that it would oblige our govern ment to treat the Diaz government pre- tl,isely as Il does the rebels in the matter of denying them the right to import arms and ammunftions of war and would sub ject American goods entering Mexico to seizure as contraband at the whim of the rebels without any recourse
 Technically there is no difficulty in finding ground for a refusal to accord belligerent rights to Madero for he has not yet set up fully equipped govern ment in a stable capital and possesses no considerable seaport-things usually re- garded as precedent to recognition.
 Just to what extent Madero has bene- fted by the capture of Juarez in chang ing his status in the eye of international declare But offhand 1t is said the United States will be obliged to recognize his defacto control of Juarez, an international port of entry. Tn the end he will be able 10 receive merchandise through his cts- tom house and collect tariff taxes. It is true that when Agua Prieta for short time was in the possession of the rebels the United States custom house in Doug las, adjoining that place. was closed by the collector, preventing the exchange of goods. But it is admitted that had the rebel occupation continued for few days longer that action of the collector, which was not directed from Washington, would have been disavowed and trade relations between the two towns would have been established.
 Mails to Mexico City are uninterrupted Postmaster General Hitchcock announced today that communication via Laredo is open and mails are moving In the usual manner.