Arizona republican., 1913-12-04
Peaceful Occupation by the Rebels of Territory Aban- doned by Huerta $ Fed eral Troops Precedes the March to Mexico City
CARRANZA MAY
 JOIN GEN. VILLA
Believed Now That Practice ally All Constitutionalist Troops Will Be Mobilized for Final Onslaught on the IIuerta Capital
ASSOCIATED PRESS DIsPArcHl


 JUAREZ Dec. 3.-A new era began in northern Mexico today. It marked the peaceful occupation by the rebels of territory abandoned by Huerta's federal troops. With two thousand men. General Villa, en route from Juarez to the evacuated city of Chi huahua, passed through Ahumada, eighty five miles south of the bor- der, and camped at Montezuma, thirtyfive miles further to the south
 Five thousand more rebels will join him on the way, and with the com bined force of seven thousand men, he will enter the state capital, there To establish what will be the tenn porary military headquarters of the constitutionalist party.
 The departure of the rebel forces from Juarez. with their military equipment, made four trains, a gar rison of seventeen hundred soldiers being left behind to guard the bor- der town.
 Whether General Carranza, recog- nized head of the revolution. also will go to Chihuahua seemed to be in doubt, although Villa said he ex- pected Carranza's forces will cross from Sonora to concentrate men for operation further in the south.
 With the rebels entering Chihuahua with tattered Mexican flags which they are carrying as symbolical of their demands for restoration or the constitutional government they will have Zacatecas as the nearest federal stronghold on the south. It is to- ward that city that VfIla insists he will march.
 The flight of General Salvador Mer- cado, the federal governor and com mander in chief. with all his officers and troops, after sending a peace commission to Villa, whose answer he did not wait to receive, makes pos i sible the rebel occupancy of the city without a fight. The fact is that Mercado sent the commission to Villa through a rebel leader as a mask to enable Mercado to get away. So far the rebels and federals have had no parleys of any character, and Villa said he did not think Huertas off cers would expect clemency from him.
 No word was received today from the fleeing federal generals and the i band of civilian refugees. The rebels i expressed the belief that, after escort 1 ing the civilians to the border, the 1 officers might retreat to NuevO Leon 1 state, as Generals OrozcO and Sala- l gar are under indictments in the | United States for violation of the | neutrality laws.
 Monterey and few remaining fed eraI strongholds in NuevO Leon and | other northern states. Villa said, would l be left to the local bands of rebels | He intends to direct his main army | toward Mexico City.
 T will have twenty thousand men i surrounding Mexico City about Christ mas time" said Villa. Our numbers will increase as we march sOuthward, | and by the time we reach the cap | ital of the republic the people in Mex ico City will be ready to join us"
 A message received from Chihua hua by courier said the city is quiet and the citizens, including the Ameri- cans. were much relieved by the eX- odus of the federals. It is stated that Mercado had been bankrupt for weeks, and that his soldiers had been with out pay for so long they threatened footing and mutiny.