The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1914-01-08
FEDERALS WILL
FIGHT VILLA TO
THE DEATH
Such Are the Declarations Of 0ener
ais Castro and salaxar In Inter.
view Given A. ojinaga

as to the intention of the northern
division Of the Mexican federal army
to defeat the rebels OF to stay here
until every soldier has died for Pres
ident Huer,s, through the exhaustion
OF ammunition, was dispelled by Gen.
eral Francisco Castro and General
Ynez Salazar in interviews given by
them at Headquarters during the reb-
Q, attack today.
Retreat Of federal soldiers across
the border to the United States ter
ritory wou'd be induced only by
some unexpected event, and even II
all soldiers deserted, the generals
would remain to die at their posts
according to General Castro.
General Salazar Is commander Of
the federal volunteers, while General
Castro, who is suffering from woun-
ded hand, is commander Of the gen.
eIal forces.
+ The belief that SO large and so i'm
portant a division Of the Mexican ar
my would ask for asylum in for
eign country was given bsisis in the
flight Of the army with General Mer-
cado from Chihuahua about five
weeks ago, said General Castro.
viii Not Cross Border
It was thought that We came to
the border so that II we were pus-
sued by Villas rebels we could step
across the border, he said. Such q
plan was preposterous. Our forces
evacuated chihuahua because we had
been isolated there. We had no way
to obtain money to pay the soldiers
who remained loyal to General HUI
erta and We had no means Of COM
municating with the war department
h. Mexico City. Our duty was to open
line of communication with the head
OF the government and to escort Chi
huahua city citizens who feared they
would be murdered by Villa. We Sc
lected Ojinaga because 1t is one OF
the best natural Notifications in the
world. It also offered us a source of
communicating with Mexico City as
well as port through which we may
import provisions. Our position here
Is impregnable. We have ample stores
OF ammunition and more than so field
pieces. Our losses have been greatly
under those of the rebels.
orteea's Idea
Ortega, who came to attack us on
orders from Villa thought his pres
ence alone would cause us to flee i'm
mediately to the United States. He
was surprised when We resisted him.
Our 1000 loyal soldiers because of our
superior Notifications are able to re-
sist 10000 rebels and there are not
that many rebels in the north. Each
OF US are ready to die should that be
necessary and If we evacu,ate this
place 1t will not be to foreign coun-
try.
General Castro's interview was CIV
EN- In quaint plaster house on the
plaza which has been under almost
continuous fire for week. As he
talked his hand bound up In bandag
es. the cannonading and the rattle OF
infantry of General Ortega's rebel
army to the west Of the village was
audible.
A short time later bursting shrap-
mel was scattering a shower Of bullets
above the village.
Dead soldiers lying unburied in the
outer trenches and hundreds Of liv-
ing soldiers on duty for week with
out sleep were some Of the scenes
Witnessed today in an inspection Of
this frontier village 81 miles from a
railroad, which has become the bat.
tleground of possible final conflict
for the possession of the north.
So far neither side has made ma
terial Roadway except in the drain
on the federal ammunition by the reb-
els. A few of the adobe houses used
as federal forts have been demolished
but the damage to Notifications made
of dirt have been casual.
Army Patrol Alert
Despite assurances today from Gen.
eral Castro and General Salazar that
the federals had no design to fee to
the United States In case of utter
defeat the United States army patrol
did not slacken its precautions taken
with a view of that emergency. AL.
ready about 500 federal deserters have
crossed and either have been dlsarm.
ed and sent beck or have escaped In.
to Texas Because OF the tendency
of both the contending armies across
the river from Preside to send their