New-York tribune., 1912-02-17
LIEUT.. FIELDS ARRESTED
FOR VISIT TO MEXICO
Colonel Steever. However, BE-
Iieves Trepass an Accident and
Deprecates Court Martial.
REBELS CUT IMPORT TARIFF
They Admit American Goods at
Palomas at Half Rates to En-
courage Trade and OBJ
tain War Fund.
rFron, The Tribune Bureau !

Washington. Feb. t6.-OWing 10 MS
| ignorance Of the city of III Paso and the
route of the streetcar lines Of thas city
First Lieutenant BENJAMIN W. Fields. OF
the 18th Infantry. which arrived at FL Paso
this week To reinforce the border patrol
is under arrest pending an investigation
that NAV lead 10 his court martial on
charges Of carelessness in the prosecution OF
his duty.
! Lieutenant Yields. IN taking detach-
| ment Of two dozen men 10 investigate some
! Mexicans reported along the RIO Grande
iust below the city. apparently boarded the
wrong car and was carried nearly across
the international bridge Into Mexico
Scarcely had the boundary line been crossed
however. when the car was held up by a
band Of Mexican soldiers and the American
lieutenant and soldiers were dragged out
Prompt explanations probably saved an en-
counter which might have led to serious
International complications.
Colonel Steever. commanding the patrol
forces at III Paso I'm reporting tho incident
10 the War Depa rtment to-day, stated that
board Of officers had been detailed 10 in
vestigate the incident, with a view To de-
terminiug whether the officer deliberately
invaded Mexican territory with his soldiers
or whether the act was uninteniiOnal, and
! n the latter whether II was the result OF
csrelessness.
Trespass Was Accidental.
! Colonel Steevcr said lie had no doubt
| that Fieldss statement that the trespass
was accidental was true and perhaps could
! be passed over without a court martial.
IL. ola har 70
doubtless little would have been said, but
as this one carried n score Of American
soldiers. uniformed and armed, into for
aign TERRITORY. which could be construed as
n hostile act II the neighborins country
should so choose, tho authorities hero are
inclined toward some sort OF punishment
| which may be more severe than repri-
mand II appears that Fields misunderstood
the directions ho had obtaine and boarded
a car that made a loop of tho two inter
national bridges. thus going first into Mex
leo before reaching The point 10 which he
was ordered
Advices 10 the state Department announce
that TIahusllo has been occupied BY m
surgents and communication cut of between
that city and Torreon. Although many for
eIgners have already fed from Torreon six
| Americans ere reported still there, and the
| Mexican government has promised. through
! Amba assador Wilson, to CIV" them every pro-
! lection
The irsuresnts controlling Palomas. on
the border. are admitting all kinds Of goods
~ haIt the regular custom rates. Ry this
! means It r. calculated that they VIII en-
courage a considerable import business. and
thus obtain funds for their movements.
Conditions Better in Juarez.
While conditions in Juarez are said 10 he
favorable TO tho government. conditions
| further west iu Chihuahua. particularly the
Casas Grandns region are still unsettled.
There is much opposition to the govern
renf. and the rebels there continue 20 in
,orfsrc with the running OF trains out OF
Juarsz. Every communication between
Mexico city and Oaxaca in the south has
been interrupted.
II is reported from III Faso that Vas
ouitas captured Guerrero in chihuahua last
night. The state legislature Of Chihuahua
n Is stated. has sent peace commissioners
/ TO slI parts OF tho state 10 endeayor to In.
duca the rebels TO return To- the ranks at
! the MaderistS.
lean women and children, continued to-day
10 mass through Laredo, Tex A few Of them
reported mistreatments, but these stories
were hearsay.
Quiet was reported along the railway
| line between Laredo and Mexico CITY eX-
! cept At ono or two towns.
Ncxicn City. Feb. ls.-Torreon IL isolated
| Rebels surround the town and communica-
\ ton by telegraph was stopped last night
Tho government to-day gave out infor'
nation that forces under Colonel OHorar
! had defeated a body Of rebels near Tor
| reon. killing seventy and losing but on'
! killed and ono wounded.
! Last reports from Torreon were that thf
residents feared the Nasquistas would
carry out their threat Of attacking the
| city. The last train out was permitted u
move by the rebels merely because II car
I ried q number Of American refugees.
| An unexpected strengthening OF the
rebels was repoSted to-day from Tezitulan
a town in Puebla, near the border OF the
state OF Vera Cruz. This place was "c'u-
| pied by rebels proclaining their adherence
| TO Emilio Vasquez Gomez. Tezitulan is IN
| the mountains and Is regarded ss strate-
| gIcal point OF more tlan ORDINARY Naiuc'
other uprisings are reported to-day from
points near Fuerte. Badlraguto and Fl Do
RADIO I'm the State OF Sonora, and from
Maciendas. In Jalisco. Wire cutting inter
fered to-day with receipt Of news from por'
tions OF the State Of Morelos. where Cen
eraI Robles Is conducting a vigorous cam
Iaign against the Zapaifsts.
| All day yesterday battle was In prog
ress near Chnameca, village near Jo
| jutla. At last reports the federals were
driving the rebels back.
There will be no special session OF inc
Senate to authorize the President to send
( troops into Chihuahua through American
territory. Tho permanent committee o'
Congress to-day voted the measure dowr
and adopted resolution saying the situa'
| ton demands no such action"