The Washington times., 1913-12-28

rama and the group of Ieadc RS who
are allied with him in the northern
states of the republic. Just now. the
constitutionaliSts are pressing Ojinaga-
After that. the program is to capture
Torreon. Saltillo and Monterey. Thee
are military tasks of no great dinicul@
III vie" of the increasingly cXceileE,
organization of the troops under Villa
and other commanders.
After Monterey. the real march on
Mexico City will begin. Huertas S
forces about Mexico City are so weak
ened that he cannot long hold out In
fact, Information here as to the troops
Huerta has about Mexico City leads to
the belief an American brigade. with a
battery or two, would find it a few
days work to take the place.
Carranza's Character Reproachless.
Gen. Venustiano Carranza is entitled
Mexican revolution. Nor will it do to
look on him AS any mere adventurer
or self-seeker. II the revolution succeeds
he will doubtless be the new president.
Much has been said OF lac, in view of
the military successes of Villa, of jeal-
ousy between the two men, This is
to lie doubted. II Is strongly denied
by cOnstitutionalists here. Besides II
has to be remembered that Villa, who
Is pictured as nothing better than a
bandit. was absolutely loyal to Madero
and the Madero cause while he lived,
and inasmuch as Carranza has taken up
with that cause Is questionable whether
he is other than loyal TO Carranza.
Carranza is the son of great land
owner in the state of Coahuila, studied
law, farmed. soI into politics, WAS a
NJ 1mber Of the Mexican national con-
sress. defied Diaz. aligned with Madero.
was minister of war under Madero for
q time. and was then elected governor
OF Cnahuila- When Madero was muir
defed' CarranZd organized the Tcyolu-
non against Huerta and was chosen
tlrSt chief OF Lhe constitutionaliSts. Last
September. with 4 few men. he made a
: 2We-mile trip on horseback through the
northern states of Mexico organizing
his fcrces and getting the revolution
under way. He Is fifty-four years of
age. six feet. three inches tall, and a
man of strength and CAPACITY II is
significant that in all the stories as
sail ne various Mexican leaders which
h&Ne ben written, almost nothing has
been said In VIllificatiun Of Carranza.
Villa the PICTURESQUE.
Lately, thcr" has been SURPRISING i'll
terest in Gen. Francisco villa other
wise 'PanChO Villa. He is portr3ved
as derp-dyed villain. as :, bandit =
murderer, and SO on. With
out doubt. Villa has some / lots ON his
record But there is Reason Ia b.IIo,..
there in another side 10 the picture.
Certain il is that he has pT..ycD bip,seIr
q master III the use OF tEupus. lie has
shown capacity to organize f!Ihters and
to handle an army in CAMPAIGNS II
looks as If he might PROV. tn he the
ablest military man that has arisen in
Mexico in recent Years. In anv event
his followers be icvc it,
Most Americans think Of Wiz, us .
blood thirsty parsonage. Wln robs rich
and poor alike. and has "A diet of uuIulIo
Villa is a fanaticaI prohibiticnIst. and
neither drinks nor smokes. This sounds
like romance. but IL il vuErhcd for on
excellent authority. Moreover. when
Villas troops enter Il town. one of the
first things he does Is to Close the 81
looms. and if the keepers don't keen
them closed he first fines them and
then conrt-martiais them and either
chases them out of town or shoots
them. The stories about indiscriminate
massacres at Juarez and other p'aces
by his orders or sanction are largely
fictitious. Executions of this sort
have largely been confined to the
of captured federal officers
who had broken parole. At least, there
is good authority for this ass. rtiOn. and
IL is significant that President Wilson
recently said that the stories OF Tor
reon massacres had been greatly exag- |
gerated.
villa apparently has the elements OF
4 natural born soldier. 1t may he that
further campaigning will show his
weakness. but thas far he has shown |
skill. He is only thirty-seven years old,
killed at eighteen federal army officer !