The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-07
Move Expected to Resist
March of Constitutional
lists Toward Capital
GENERAL VILLA TO
REINFORCE ARMY
Federals, Fleeing From Chihuahua,
Turn to Flank Villa-Interest at
Washington Centers on Mill
tary Activities

Junrez, Mex, DecemDer b.--Ihe fect-
ing spread among rebel leaders today
that the Huerta government was pre-
pairing some sinister surprises I'm con-
nection with the projected march OF
Gen. Francisco Villas army toward
Mexico City.
That the federal troops had abandoned
nearly all of the northern part OF the
republic after they had been beaten and
forced to seek safety in the mountains
or on the United States border, and that
Gen. Salvador Mercado, the federal COM
mander, had pronounced his forces bank
rupt, was not accepted as indicating that
the rebels will be unresisted in the ad-
vance south.
Some belief was expressed that the fed
erals had an object in evacuating Chihua-
hua and other isolated federal garrisons,
where it was impossible for them to do
much more than defend themselves. and
that their purpose In abandoning their
posts was to permit a more concerted and
| energetic defense in the central and south
ern states, where forts are more numer-
GUS and communication among them is
| easier.
Villa to Increase Forces
| General Villas intention to augment his
present army of 1000 by scattered bands
about Torreon and Zacatecas, and to mass
a solid force of 10000 or more rebels on
the march to Mexico City would place the
rebels in a unique position.
Heretofore they have been scattered.
| Vyb tha ctr of he faHR 10
divided by their having to garrison the
northern cities.
AS the rebels gain territory the rel
| ative positions of the federals and
rebels viii be reversed, the latter hav-
| ing 70 protect what they have won.
| While the federals will be more at lib
| erty for aggressive fighting. 1t WAS
this condition that led Villa TO CON
| slider whether the government at Mex
leo City was not planning a campaign
of considerable extent further south
and when the comparatively undisei-
! plined repe1 forces might have to con-
| tend with greater numbers and su-
perior fighting machinery.
4 Noon tomorrow was fixed by ticneraf
vina for his entry into Chihuahua, tile
state capital evacuated a week ago by
| General Mercado, who with six other
generals and 5000 troops and civil
| ians. are fleeing toward the border at
! Ojinaga.
! Villa Encamped at Suaz
| General Villa was eneamped at Sauz
| tonight, about 80 miles north of Chi
huahua. Communication between the
city and his camp was by courier as the
telegraph between the two points had
not been restored.
| Federico Moye the civil governor.
announced his readiness to turn tho
| city over to the new authority. 1t is
| the first time since the days before
President Diaz that this capital had
changed authority while revolution
was pending. The event Will be Sig
nalized by the ringing of bells and
| the blowing of bugles.
Word came from the vicinity of
| Ojinaga, on the Texas border, that Gen.
| eral Mercado and the other federal
officers and troops were moving slow
| ly and that many of the civilians We're
on foot.
The rebels had promised not to dis
| turb them until the border was
reached.
The picturesque exodus of the people
across the desert has attracted thou
sands of persons to Preside. Tex, OPP
posite Ojinaga. Somewhere behind ths
refugees a bullion train is struggling
across the desert with $2,500.000 worth
of metal from the silver mines at
| Parral.
Parral has been cut off from train
| service for months and it was decided
to bring the silver to the border in
| wa