El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-05-24
HJERTl MAY
RETURN To
ARMY
Provisional President Be
ieves He Could Put Down
the Rebellion.
LONGS TO TAKE
THE FIELD AGAIN

MI Huerta is chatting under the
IVA restraint imposed by the duties
and ceremonies attending his office as
president and some Of his old friends
in the army Will not be surprised If one
day he throws off the tri-coIored band
and again dons the military uniform.
1t is said that the president not. fully
satisfied with the progress Wnlcn IS
being made against the reVOlu LlonlsLss
is seriously considering the resignation
of his office in order personally 70
direct the campaign
great advancement in restoring peace
is evident, and Huertas who planned
and carried out the campaign against
Orozco year ago, Is pardoned oy ms
iutimates for believing that he could do
the job more expedltlously- am NOT
a. man of governmental affairs said
Huerta recently in the course Of an
imprOmptu after-dinner speech i am
a soldier and every time that I see
body of men enrraining. / long to 90
with them into the field"
Successor Puzzles President.
Who would take Huerta's place as
provisional president IS matter Of
man who would satisfy the people and
display the requisite executive ability
is what may prevent MeXlco's soldier
president from abandoning the palace
To place Felix DiaZ in the presidency
probably would not improve the situa-
ton greatly, and certainly 10 would not
please Diaz, since his occupancy Of the
provisional post would greatly lessen
his chances Of holding it as an elected
incumbent.
The selection OF Francisco de Ia
Barra would please many OF his init
mate friends, but the Catholic party has
us eye on De Ia Barra as a candidate
for the presidency at some future time
when elections can be held once it
was suggested that Gen Geronimo Ire
vino take the provisional presidency
But the general is getting on in years.
and in addition he does not want the
place
Whether Huerta would do any better.
however, in the field than his officers
now are doing, is regarded as by no
means certain He probably has an in
fluence over the army greater than
that Of any other general. but the army
today IS poor thing compared with
that left 1y Porflrio Diaz, n0tWilth-
standing that Diaz's army was far less
efficient than he considered il.
Army Not Loyal
Tt has been demonstrated that the
army is not a unit OF loyalty. and the
introduction into its ranks Of thousands
of eE-rebels appears not to have greatly
strengthened its loyalty, and TO have
lowered discipline and efficiency. As
. minister OF war Huerta might direct
all phases Of the campaign. but as
simple general In the field he could
direct only q small part, and what he
might accomplish In one region might
easily be offset by what transpired in
T other parts Of the republic
Huerta and Diaz believed in Febru-
airy that they had restored Mexico ito
a peaceful condition, and they prob
ably did not dream that the counter
. revolution ever would assume the pro-
portions 1t has today There Is no
doubt now however, that the number
Of the governments troops, and - has
/ become practically a matter OF money
which side VIII win
May began with the government Sill
on the defensive, but making promises
Of the early Inauguration Of terrdete
campaign against the rebels. It was
Z y
time the rebels would have exhausted
their supplies OF ammunition and would
be unable to buy more, or to get Il
across the American boundary line even
if they possessed the necessary means
to purchase it.
Money is not plentiful IN the rebel
treasury: but neither is it in that OF
the national government 50 Tar as
getting guns and ammunition across
pear 70 be having less difIiculty than
did either MaderO or OrOzcO, and MeLi-
cans in the capital are open in their
denunciatiOn Of the washington gov
eminent for not maintaining a stricteF
Soldiers wen PAID.
Were IL not for the fact that the
Mexican soldier generally provides his
own rauOns. he would today be the
highest paid fighting man in the
world Madero raised his wages 10 a
peso, 50 cents gold, a day, and Huerta
has further increased II to a peso and
a half. or 70 cents gold The mainten-
years has been 3IeLicO's greatest item
OF expense. but Notwithstanding that
the government is hard up and has had
difficulty in securing the loan for
which it has been striving. Huerta con-
sidered the increase necessity. With
this lure he hoped to gain recruits Con-
scriptiOns however, has been the method
( adopted
To Buy 20 AerOplanes.
Judged by some OF the expenditure
or announced intention to expend-the
, government IS not so poor as Facts
would seem to Indicate Recently It
in order 20 increase the efficiency OF
the army the war department had
authorized the purchase of 20 aero
planes and the establishment Of
school Of aviation. Already the gov
eminent has two machines Captain
Manuel Lebrija is in charge OF aerial
instruction. and the war department
processes TO believe that before many
months army officers viii be locating
rebel bands through the use OF these
machines