Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1913-12-02

JuareZ, Mex, Dec. 2.-Hasty pfepa-
rations were under way today in the
rebel ranks for the prompt occupation
of Chihuahua, the capital of Chihua-
hua state, which Is reported to have
been evacuated by the federal troops
because of threatened starvation of its
10000 population.
Pointing out that of the important
federal strongholds in the north only
Monterey and Guaymas remain. Gen
eral Francisco Villa, the rebel leader,
said Chihuahua would be made the
base of aggressive activities south
ward. When rebel forces will be sent
to pursue General Salvador Mercado,
Huerta's military governor who is re-
ported to be fleeing to the United
States border at Oiinaga with 1000
famished soldiers, and Generals Oroz-
co and Salazar, who are said to have
taken to the mountains, Villa declined
to say definitely but said that the
rebel advance toward Mexico City
would continue briskly.
"We will be shooting at the ram
parts of Mexico City within a month";
said Villa. 1--WE are confident that
when the people in the capital realize
that we have captured almost all the
north and are in sight OF the city S
gates they will voice their feelings
which they are now afraid to do and
will clamor for the downfall OF the
usurper. A mob in the capital can
oust Huerta in day. With $500 reb.
els and 16 field pieces advanced as far
as Carrizal 80 miles south OF Juarez
on the way to Chihuahua, Villa will
remain here until he communicates
with General Venustiano Carranza be-
fore ne personally proceeds south. AT
Chihuahua he expects to join General
Chao and other rebel leaders and with
a combined force of. 5000 proceed to-
wards Zacatecas, the first important
city south of Torreon. Other rebel
forces, Villa said, are to proceed up
the west coast toward Guadalajara.
According to late reports which
Villa said he received by couriers who
travelled overland 130 miles to Villa
Ahumada where the telegraph line
has been connected with JuareZ, the
desertion of chihuahua by the feder-
ais was brought about by the pres
sure of the citizens. The people, it
was said, protested that if the federal
garrison resisted, the fighting would
result in the wholesale killing of non
combatants, that the poor were half
starved and that the wealthy resi-.
dents could not expect mercy at the
hands of the invaders. General Mer-
cado is said to have decided on flight
to the American border SO that he
could communicate with Provisional
President Huerta Communication be-
tween Chihuahua and Mexico City has
been impossible for weeks.
Reports received today from the
telegraph outpost at Villa Ahumada,
stated that hundreds of men, women
and children were fleeing across the
desert from Chihuahua to Ojinaga and
other points.
Long wagon trains, horses and
burros, laden with household goods
and valuables, and followed by a
scurrying hoard of people on foot was
seen.
1t looked as if almost the whole
city, carrying its richest possessions,
had been set in motion suddenly and
cf., 1ino a1n ,f due
to keep pace with a scurrying escort
of federals, according to the rebel
scouts. Among the refugees were
said to be members of the wealthy
Terrazas and Creel families, whose
lives were threatened by the project.
ed rebel attack on Juarez. These
families some of whom were heads of
banking institutions, had been isolat-
ed in Chihuahua for many weeks.
The reports brought to General
Villa were that food supplies were so
scant that not only the poor but the
wealthy faced starvation and that fin
ally these representations induced the
federals to evacuate.
learn whether General Chao, the con-
stitutionalist had entered the city.
Villa said he did not regard the evacu-
alton of Chihuahua as complete sur
render of federal authority, but rather
that the federal troops had decided to
adopt guerilla tactics and after re-
plenishing their supplies and commun-
lcating with Mexico city, planned to
continue fighting.
One Gunboat Leaves.
Hermosillo, Sonora, Mex, Dec. q
Much activity was reported here today
among the federal troops at Guaymas
and one of the two federal gunboats
lying in Guaymas harbor steamed
down the gulf. This was taken by
constitutionalist officers here as indi.
eating the federal garrison had begun
an evacuation of the California gulf
port, so stubbornly held by the Huerta
troops since the beginning of the in.
surgent revolt in Sonora.