Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-12-04
Rebels Get Possession Of
Chihuahua Without Even
Firing Single Shot
FEDERAL GENERALS
IN NORTH DESERT
Power of Dictator Seems to
Be Failing as Wilson
Had Proclaimed

Mexico City, Dec. "a sharp
miles from the federal capital be-
guards and a body Of followers Of
Emiiano Zepata. The rural guards
returned the fire Of the rebels for
twenty minutes after which the
rebels are said to have fled to the
hills. The casualties Of both
parties numbered ten dead and
twenty or thirty wounded.
Washington, D. c., Dec. 3.-The
flight of Huerta's generals in northern
Mexico, federal evacuation Of Chi
huahua and Guaymas and the refusal
of Mexican oil companies to furnish
fuel for movement of federal troop
trains were pointed out by officials
here today as such events to which
President Wilson referred in his mes
sage to congress yesterday, when he
declared the Huerta regime was
crumblng little by little every day"
Diplomatically there have been no
developments. President Wilson's s
SldIcMcllL llct ILLS SON WOuAo
not, in his opinion, be obliged to alter
its policy of "watchful waiting was
regarded as forecasting a period OF
passive observation, with every eye of
the government exercising at the same
time a close scrutiny on the safe
guarding of foreigners and their prop
erty.a ss' .''@@ j. s' .''-- '-",' =
Some diplomatists were inclined to
see in President Wilson's expression
of hopefulness that when Huerta had
been forced from power. constitutional
order would be restored "by the con-
cert and energy of such Of Mexico's
leaders as prefer the liberty of their
people to their own ambitions" and
answer to the frequent inquiries In
the foreign press as to whether chaos
and anarchy would result if Huerta re-
tired.
In Temporary Capital.
Mexico City, Dec 3.-The seaport
of Tampico was today officially declar-
ed the temporary capital Of the state
of Tamaulipas. General Antonio Ro-
bago, the military governor who was
forced to abandon Ciudad Victoria and
who was enormously reported to have
committed suicide has gone to Tam
picc under orders from the federal
government to reestablish his COVER
norship in the temporary capital.
The war department today annOunc-
ed that General Arizmendi and other
federal officers who fed from Ciudad
Victoria to Cerritos in the state of
Sar Luis Potosi, had been ordered to
reorganize their forces and march
against Victoria. This task had first
been entrusted to General Narrevete,
who retreated to Monterey after his
failure to relieve the hard pressed gar
rison of Victoria. On account of the
nature of the organization and equip
ment as well as the long distances and
broken topography of the country he
federal government will find it difficult
to handle it's various military expedi-
tions without trains now that the rail
roads have been practically deprived
of fuel by the oil producing companies.
On some of the divisions of the rail-
road system coal may be used and suf-
fcient supplies of that fuel are avail
able to operate trains for some time
but at the best it is possible all traffic
except military trains will shortly be
suspended.
erations in various parts of the reDub-
lie is meager in the federal capital and
what little there is does not favor the
government.
Telegraphic. communication along
the line of the national railroad has
been reestablished but it is understood
this has been done with the consent Of
the rebels. They are known to dom
inate the line south Of Saltillo and to
point within seventy-f1ve miles Of
San Luis Potosi.
A consular report received here from
Saltillo shows that residents Of that
city are still in ignorance of the mill
tary operations in the surrounding
country on account of the interrupted
telegraphic communications.
impresslng Recruits.
Extraordinary methods are being
employed here to secure recruits for
the federal army.
Servant girls display marked caution
when they appear in the streets, as
they are aware that scores Of their fell !
low servants have been drafted into |
the army as female soldiers
One trick utilized by the recruiting !
officers netted the federal army sixty i
i've conscripts in single haul yester- !!
day. The bills posted outside NOV /
ing picture show announced that the |
exhibition was for men only" The :
little room was crowded some time
before the performance began A
series of religious pictures was thrown
k[-1hued on Page
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