The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-02-23
This Government Is Not
Ready to Express View
on Killing.
BRYAN CONFERS
WITH PRESIDENT
British Foreign Office Pleased
With Promptness of Efforts to
Ferret Out Truth About Exc
cution-State Department.
Active in Seeking to
Protect Bauch.

Washington, February 2a.-Prcsident
Wilson and Secretary Bryan to-day
conferred briefly on tho Mexican sltua-
ton. No announcements were made az
ter the conference. but 1t Is understood
complete report on the execution at
Juarez OF William g. Benton, is await
ed before the view Of this government
toward the incident is made known.
II Is understood Sir Cecil Spring
Rico, British ambassador, has xpressed
to tho British Foreign Office his plea
sure at the promptness OF the Amerl-
can government in seeking to ferret
out the truth about the killing Of the
British subject.
Full details of the execution are not
In the hands of State Department of,
fcials. but thoy are being gathered
rapidly. IT Is generally admitted that
the case hinges largely on whether or
not Benton went to Gscaral Villas
Headquarters armed. That he was
high tempered and had had previous
difficulties with Constitutionalists Is
known. but on the single fact of
whether he had n revolver when he ac-
costed villa depends to great extent
judgment Of the whole affair. Benton's
Impartial I'm Remarks.
Government officials here arc impair
tlal In their remarks about the Incident,
insisting that any Judgment formed be-
fore all the facts ire collected neces-
sarily rests on bias or prejudice.
Upon the truth or falsity of Villas
statement that Benton tried to kill
him. Will depend the views both Great
Britain and the United States will take
Of tho affair. In official circles the
prevalent belief is that In the absence
OF satisfactory evidence to the con-
trary. tt will be difficult for this gov
ernment, Mt least, to reject Villas YER
sion. To do so without satisfactory
proof to the contrary, 1t is pointed out
by some officials, would be unnecessar-
lily to provoke unfriendly relations
with the Constitutionalist chief, who is
In control of n vast territory adjacent
TO the United States wherein arc many
foreigners about whose protection tho
United States Is solcitous
In the meantime. tne Constitutionalist
agency hero is active in issuing to the
press telesrams from General villa.
stating his defense for the killing
They arc along the same lines as pre-
vious messages, and Villa asserts In
ono OF them that he still has Bentons
pistol. Other kilograms to the agency
say Benton's record in chihuahua was
llhI vi QudrTeiSOmc man, kand the
charge Is made that he was guilty of
having "mlstreated poems on his ranch
to the extent of taking their lives"
German Bluejackets Land.
No surprise was manifested officially
here at the landing of a squad OF Ger
man blucjackets for the protection of
tho German legation at Mexico City.
This Is in limo with the recent action
OF tho British government and Is said
to bo In pursuance OF an .underetand!ns
with the American government on this
point.
The State Department is active seek
ing to protect Gustave Bauch, a Ger
man American. who. 1t was reported
last night, had been executed in Juarez
along with BENTON. Secretary Bryan
to-day received word from Consul Ed
wards. saying that Edwards was salts
fed Bauch had been removed to Chi
huahua.
American Consul Letcher. nt Chihua
hua, has been instructed 10 see that
Bauch is protected. There has been
report current that Bauch was wit
ness of the alteration which Benton
had with Villa. and for that reason
was spirited away. State Department
officials thus far have not learned that
any witnesses to the Benton affair have
disappeared.