The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-12-05
INCREASING SENSE
OF RESPONSIBILITY
IN REBEL LEADERS
Senblance of Civil Au-
thority Beginning
to Appear.
MORE RESTRAINTS
ON SUBORDINATES
Believed That Constitutionalists
Are Divided on Question of
Asking Recognition by United
States-M onterey and
Tampico Threatened
With Attack.

Washington. December 4.-Adminis
tration officials here are viewing with
Satisfaction evidences of the growing.
sense Of responsibility on the mart of
the rebel leaders in Northern AIexico
Tor the protection of life and propertv
within the territory In their posses
sion. The state Departments request
ioE tho release OF Americans held fo1.
l'hsom or arrested on suspicion ara
now receiving prompt attention at the
hands of the Constitutionalist gem
erals. and 1t Is apparent that these
o'Hcers IN turn are gradually cxertinE
more power and imposing greater re-
| straints over their subordinates
some semblancc OF civil authorit>.
also ls beginning To appear I'm tho
Northern states. Altogether officials
here see Indications that a regularly
organized civil government is about to
be evolved from the chaotic conditions
mat have prevailed in that section OF
Mexico for the past nine months
! II is believed that the Constitution
aiists themselves are divided on the
question of seeking formal recogni-
ton by the United States a consider
able portion OF them are said to in
cline to the view ascribed to General
Villa. that such recognition of their
government in its present condition
might encourage n movement for the
separation OF the Northern States from
the remainder OF the country.
Regarding supply OF OIL.
Iho state Department has so far
received no confirmation from official
sources or the report that the great
OIL companies in the State of Vera
cruz under threats from the insur-
gents tave Cancelled their contract
obligations TO supply the Mexican gov
ernment with the crude oil necessary
TO operate the locomotives on the rail-
| ways.
Reports TO the department indicate
nf
i ground to meet the needs or the rail
! road for at least three months and it
| IL said there Is rc question as to the
! power or the disposition OF the HUI
| erta government to take forcible pos
session OF this fuel
To-day's dispatches say both Monte
! rcy and TampicO are Threatened bv
rebels Nearly all the Americans.
many foreigners and hundreds OF Mex
leans have fled from Monterey to
/ Texas.
| Durango is reported comparatively
quiet, about twenty Americans re-
naming in the town. There are said
To hc about forty Americans in Tor
reon, and some twenty others in the
! Immediate vicinity.
The solicitude and interest OF the
Navy Department and State Depart
iheht IN the coming assault on Tampico
are Keen, because it will be up to Ad-
'hlFal fletcher To see that the rebel
! general, .Nguilar. makes 'good his
! promises To safeguard American and
other foreign property in this and cs-
| Dccialy tho oil works OF American ana
! English sections
Important Contest
| Tha officials regard the coming con
! test az Fampico as the most important
! OF all the lights. because it is prob
| able that Germany. the United states
and Great Britain Will develop thei,.
Mexican policy if the rebels do nor
Keep Their engagements with Admiral
Fletcher. IL is not known whether
the German naval commander has
agreed to act in concert with Admiral
fletcher. as it was reported the Brit
| dock. did
The fact that Germany is, sending,
her own cruiser is regarded here ns
meaning: that she proposes to TAX.
matters IN her own hands. for ii is
| Well known that the American sou.,l
ron at Tampico is large enoueb Io
handle the whole situation IL otbn,.
nations so desired
The sudden renewal OF the flight or
Americans. who had recently been ad
Viscd in the United Statcf to watch
and wait has no e-1I.i.:;.tion at tho
state department or elsewhere
secretary Bryan declined to-day To
affirm or deny the report that My.
- ShauShneSsy. the American charge
a'tares at Mexico City, had entered
into special agreements with Sir Lionel
Garden, the British minister there on
the subject OF refusing oil TO the HUI
crta government.
Secretary Bryan also declined TO
thrown any light on the question
whether the American firms, on which
ilucrta seems 10 place his reliance for
railway fuel. would be advised by this
government 10 refuse to deal with the
dictator
Refugees Nearing Uurder.
Marta. Texas, December Alive
days on a desert without any more
( food or water than they could carry
with them. the refugees from Chihua-
hua city, evacuated By tho Federals.
were to-day within a few miles OF
Ojnisa. on the border opposite Pre-
sidto. Texas. United States customs
and immigration inspectors left Maria
TO meet tho refugees in the expecta-
ton that they would cross tho bordor.
and also to meet any contingency that
Nigh. arise. in event that any of the
Mexican Federal army officers should
seek safety in this country
At the head OF tho fleeing army Of
ficera is General Salvador Alcrcado,
Huerta's military commander In North
crn Mexico, who evacuated ChIhuahua
after hs troops threatened mutiny be-
cause they received no pay. Two thou