The Washington times., 1913-12-21
General Villa Greeting Friends.

in the palace of the presidente in Mex
leo City.
few days. a battle won. a city taken
and looted, Francisco Villa is the con-
queror. the general destined seemingly
to be q power in the new regime in
Mexico if the war of the Carranzistas
is successful The glamor of the victor
Is binding the eyes of Mexico to the
bloodthirst- buccaneer behind it all,
who gives no quarter TO those in arms
and who satisfies his vengeance by
shooting down unarmed men after they
have surrendered =,
Began With Nine Men.
No man in any of MeXico's countless
rebellions and revolts has gone through
a more complete change of circum-
stances than has Pancho Villa, and to
few men has there ever been given a
more Kaleidoscope career in lifetime
than this desperate -diplomatist has
jammed into the last FIVE months.
Escaping from United States border
patrols and Mexican federal infantry
and cavalry last March, Villa took the
field with single horse which had been
borrowed" two sacks of -four, and nine
ward of 10000 followers, mostly well
armed, quick moving cavalrymen.
thirty-efght large field pieces, fifty
rapid-fire machine guns, trainload Of
ammunition. Otnel ITdinlOdQS OF sup
plies for his troops, and more than s.
100000 in Mexican money. He controls
the State of Chihuahua, the wealthy
cotton and irrigation country in the
Lagura district of Coahuila and the
mines of Durango state, the most valu-
He has taken from the Huerts govern
rnent and holds today 10000 square
miles Of territory.
In fac, the constitutionalists now held
most of the territory north of a line
drawn from the Atlantic to the Pacific
still in possession cf Monterey, Saltillo.
Laredo, and Piedras Negras, in the
state of Coahulia: Nucvo Leon. and
Tamaulipas, on the Atlatic coast. and
Mazatlan and Guaymas, on the Pacific.
General Venustiano led the revolt in
the state of Sonora, and from this re-
volt the newest insurectos are known as
Carr anZiStaS.
Almost all the remainder Of the vast
domain in northern Mexico was seized
by "Pancho the Tiger
His army is constantly growing. His
enemies have fled at his approach. leaN-
ing Chihuahua, the largest and most i'm
portant city in northern Mexico, entire
ly at his mercy. He says he will keep
on until he reaches Mexico City and the
Huertl government Calls.
Villas record of trIumphs in the last
year is al the more wonderful when it
rs consid cred that it was achieved al
most entirely with ammunition and
artillery taken from his enemy'S far
stronger force. He declares himself that
~ uor cent Of his ammunition was cap
tured from the foderals and the remain
der smege led in small quantities through
the United states border patrol.
'1f We had 10 depend on rifles and
cartridges frorl the United States to
fight we would soon have lost" b" said
~.
brought across the boundary cost
money. We had no nloIIey. We had
TO win our weapons to fight with and
tic ammunition for them. We did il.
Something's guns were SO scarce my men
quarreIed among themselves as who
should. fight with them. Now we have
plenty, and money to buy them with
also Buc We will not spend the
money that way. Taking them from
towards is the easiest and best
Cohesive Power of Loot"
The cohesive power of loot is tine
thing that holds Villas army together.
It is a bond that enfolds mine worker,
cowboy. rancher farmer, peon and aris-
tocrat. This band Of robbers gutted
JuarcZ, led by Villa himself They
sacked Torreon and Villa was the arch
sacker. He is reported to have taken
Sc ,000,0 900 in cash there. He threat
ened Parral after Manuel Chao cap
tured ii. and the merchants paid him
ransom TO keep his gentle hyenas" out
of the place.
Millions are now in the Villa treas
ury and the villa personal fortune is
reaching magnificent proportions. But
few days ago. all of the millions OF
the Terrazas family were declared con-
fscated by Villa. Terrazas. the richest
man in Mexico, with vast estates
ranches and mines, was believed TO be
worth 5000. 100000. For many days ne
was hidden in the plains country with
his portable wealth. while Villa, the
tiger, tracked him. seeking the gold.
In midweek Terrazas safely crossed
the border. He is the father-in-law OF