New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-12-21
Plan to Lay Waste Strip ~
Miles Wide and 400
Miles Long.
COLONISTS' CATTLE
TO BE CONFISCfTED
Methodist Missionaries Leave
Chihuahua to Escape Villas
Demands for Money.
fBy Telegraph TO The Tribune

fN iclGgrapn 10 me lIlbunf
FL Paso, Tex Dec. 2o.-All Mormon
/ colony towns in Western Chihuahua
are 10 be destroyed. all lands and cattle
Of the colonists are TO be seized, and n
strip Of country twenty miles wide and
extending from Ojinaga TO the Coahuila
line. distance of more than four hum
drad miles. is to be laid waste by Fed
erai soldiers.
Orders 10 this effect, issued in Mexico
! City. have been received in Ojinaga by
Generals Pascual Orozco, Ynez Salazar'
Antonio Rojas and Marcelo Caravao,
and are said to have been disclosed to-
dav 10 an American ranchman at
Oiinaga by Federal officer.
The orders. which. it is declared
come from the Provisional President
through the Mexican War Department
contemplate LAYING all Of the rebel ter
ritory west and south OF Chihuahua
city in waste and making it untenabie
for rebels or any who may oppose TIE
Federal government
General Salazar is 10 conduct the ex-
petition which is TO destroy the Nor
mons property. He is a former repe'
chicftain and the country ordered 10 Dc
devastated H. his former home. In II
he operated during the previous re'oiu-
lions and he recruited his present force
q volunteers. He is TO leave Ojinaga
within three days it is asserted
General Orozco's campaign is to he
10 Santa Rosalid. now held by repeIs'
Tnerc ne IS expected 10 form Junct-
me with Generals Velasco and Nava-
rettc. Later the forces Will combine
with those Of Salazar. Rojas and Cara
yeo i'm an attack on the villa army.
which il is expected will move next
week from Chihuahua 10 the south.
Meroado Accused OF Treason.
General Salvatore Mercado, "A
brothcr-in- law OF President Huerta, ~
held i'm contempt by the other Federal
generals at Ojinaga and openly iS-
norod by them hdvicos from OJinaga
to-day say that Mercada has been or
dcred sent To Mexico city 10 be tried
On the charge ~ treason. preferred by
the four ,thcr generals. I'm the mill
tary operations at Ojipasa Mercado has
been ignored and some Of his orders
Gisobeyed
Orozco and Salazar, ii is stated,
charge that Mcrcado evacuated CHI
huahua through fear and through the
influence ~ General Luis TcrraZas, VINO
put up all the money for the fight and
who paid a heavy premium for the pro-
lection of the Federal forces.
More than 600 Federal will join the
movement out Of Ojinaga. IL IL said.
and all rebels captured by them are 10
be executed.
Methodist missionaries in Chihuahua
have closed their missions and schools
and will come TO the American Side.
Already several are here. The mis-
sions and schools OF the church in Chit
huahua state are valued al Sl~sD
gold This property is 10 be abandoned
temporarily, but II is not believed that
ii will suffer greatly. as there has been
no disposition by either warning faction
in Mexico to disturb American church
property.
That the demand for money is about
10 be made on the Methodists and
other American church folk in Mex
leo by Pancho villa, the rebel leader.
is reported from chihuahua. and II liz
in fear that he may enforce demand
such as was made Of the American
churches on the west coast that the
Methodists are leaving chihuahua. The
churchmcn. it is said have told MeXi-
cans OF both factions that they are
willing to pay legitimate taxes on their
property, but will not submit 10 being
forced to aid in keeping up the revolu-
ton or in payingl Federal troops.
1t is said that a protest against
Villas threatened action is TO be sent
to Washington.
Selling Terrazass Cattle.