The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-12-30
TROOPS ORDERED
TO RETURN FIRE
ACROSS BORDER
United States Bullets
Will Be Warning
to Mexicans.
TROUBLE FEARED
BY WASHINGTON
Battle Expected Hourly at DIN
aga Right on American Border.
Federals Will Hardly Dare
to Send Troops From Tor
reon or Durango, Where
Conditions Are Bad.
lsnenia1 tn rhe rimes.pisnatch I

Warrington, december ZS.--lL WIS
announced here TO-DAY. for the first
time, that the United States troops
have been ordered to fire back at Fed
erals or Constitutionalists who fire into
American territory.
The test of this order Is expected
to be mado at the Impending battle be-
tween the Constitutionalists and Fed
erals at Ojinaga. TO which the Federals
retrcated after the fall OF Torreon.
The original order affecting the Fed
erals and Constitutionalists was issued
some time ago. but was repeated re-
Gently TO General Bliss. The exact
phrase used In the general order, which
intentional firing"
II is understood that az this order
& was approved by the higher authorities
in Washington under the new admin
istration. that similar orders have been
in the possession OF Admiral Fletcher
all tho time during his Investment OF
Mexican ports.
Serious Trouble Feared.
The State Department, in an official
bulletin, says that serious trouble" is
feared at Torreon and Durango.
Fifty Americans were reported at
Torreon on December 81. In city which
was without food, and IL seems that the
State Department has not heard from
Torreon directly at all. The news
to-day comes from Durango.
The official report is that about
5000 refugees OF the worst element
, have entered Durango from Torreon.
There is account of what these
refugees did in Torreon before they
entered Durango The local authori-
ties ut Durango have no means Of feed
ing the refugees and also their own
people, so that until further accounts
the situation both at Torreon and Dur
+ ango Is one OF simple anarchy, There
are no reports showing the present
conditions OF the Americans at Torreon.
Tho War Department is of the opin-
ion that the Federais will not dare to
send any of their forces from Torreon
or Durango to assist the Fedcrais al
Ojinaga. where battle is hourly eN
pected right on the American border.
The F'ederals are reported to have
their back to the river. 1t Is not un
derstood here how IL is possible for
them even to defend themselves from
an enemy whose fire VIII necessarily
fall into American territory. The Of
hcerS here think that as the whole of
central provinces are being assailed by
the Constitutionaiists, General Huerta
will not be able to detach any of the
troops from near Chihuahua, Torreon
or Durango, and will be Obliged TO
force the garrison at Otinaga to fight
II out with the rebels cross the
Presidio on the American side and be
disarmed and interned. They will not
uc diioWcu " 81 INTO -heAlCaN
territory.
Bank LIS Solvent.
Charge dAffaires O'ShauGhncssy has
telegraphed the department that the
Baco de Londres is solvent and Will
meet all obligations on January .. This
information was given to Mr.. O'Shaugh-
messy by the manager OF the bank.
Mr. O'Shaughnessy also telegraphs
that he has been informed by the Mex
lean government that the Americans.
Kidder and Parker, who wece in jail
at San Luis Potosi, have been uncon-
ditionally released.
The consul at Saltillo telegra phs
that all communication south of Vene-
gas has been cut by the rebels. and
triot continues.
Tho American consul at Nuevo la
redo telegraphed on December - that
there are at this time thirty Ameri-
cans in his consular district. In the
city of Nuevo Laredo are the following:
Shelby J. Theriot (American vice-co
SUD and wife, a. +. Theriot, wife and
two children, +. de la Grandier and
wife. Francisco Vizcaya and wife, Luis
Hahoe and wife, Oscar Dunlap, wife
and colored servant Outside OF the
city: p. A. Andrews, wife and eight
children on ranch two miles below city;
Otto Winter, wife and two children. on
ranch forty miles above Laredo, and
j. c. Davis. on ranch ten miles above
Laredo.