Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-03-21

TEHS, fermO, durango, mexico, Marcn
21-Gen. Pancho Villa, with his 1900
rebel soldiers, today was prepared to hurl
the first shell into the trenches around
Torreon Of the resisting federal army,
under Gen. Refugio Velasco. in what is
considered the most important battle OF
the constitutionalist revolution.
Full Of confidence, Gen. Villa has trans
mitted his energy to his subordinates.
and the camp at Yermo presented scene
which never had marked a revolutionary
movement in Mexico. The peon soldiers
hurried here and there, giving final
touches to the establishment Of the rebels
plans for opening assault. Refreshed by
a nights sleep after their long, hard
march through the desert from Mapimi
and Bermejillo, Villas khaki-clad soldiers
sprang to their work with zest
The beginning of today saw the rebel
army stationed on the outskirts Of the
federal stronghold, position they had
gained without resistance and with
scarcely the sound of a shot to check
their preparations for an assault. Within
Torreon all was comparatively quiet and
none in the rebel camp knew what prep
arations Gen. Velasco was making to
repel the attack Of the revolutionists.
Predicts Early Capture.
Speculation as to when the battle will
begin was rife today among the soldiers
and the civilians who had followed the
rebel leader south from Chihuahua, but
lila answered all inquiries with the
yaunt that "Torreon will be mine in a
week.
yelascos army is estimated to number
5000 men. South and southwest OF the
city his position is regarded as almost
impregnable by reason of the mountains
through which only three passes run '
and these have been rendered almost inn
passable by Notifications and barbed
wire entanglements. In other directions
the city is reached through the desert
and high hills.
Villas progress has been slow because
it was necessary to repair raliroaa .,aoAs
and bridges. Early yesterday, however,
the road was open from fermo, where
the troops have been mobilizing, TO
Mapimi and Berrnejillo, which are only
few miles north of Torreon, and virtually
are suburbs of that city.
At these two cities the troops uetrdiueo
and formed in columns There was httie
loss of time in plungtng into the desert
Great tank wagons laden with the water
supply, which has been N1i!aS ereatest
problem, rumbled in the trail. The lips
of the few foreigners in the army were
cracked and swollen from the heat and
alkau dust, but the Mexicans, trained to
such conditions, Jared better. In this
way the outskirts OF Torreon We're
reached.
Villa Meets Little Opposition.
There was no opposition, and Gen.
Villa declared there had been none since
he began to repair the railroad south of
Jiminez. The federals contented them
oil ohat
tons except bullets in his way. There
tween outposts. but nothing that assumed
even the dignity of a skirmish.
Gen. Villa was everywhere, for now
that the eve of the battle is at hand he
the halter of a refractory mule, now
criticising the lashings of a pack saddle
or swapping orders at a minor leader.
1t is no figure of speech to say that
the light of battle burned in the rebel
leaders, eyes. They are extraordinarily
wide set, so that when he looks at
visitor at close range they seem almost
to cross, and their dark depths. always
glowing, seem actually to flame in mo-
ments of excitement. His subordinates
rarely ever argue with MIN and IN Such
moments never.
Gen. Felipe Angeles. chief Of the artil-
lery corps, was named second In COM
mand to take full charge in the event of
Aguirre Benavides was placed in COM
mand of the disposition of troops, al
though Angeles himself selected the posi-
ton for his guns.
Railways Rolling Stock Congested.
Virtually all Of the rolling stock Of the
railroad is congested on the line between
Chihuahua, Jiminez, Escalon (where
there is a water supply and the front.
Villa has food for month, 1900 rounds
of cartridges to the man and his rail-
road service, unless cut. can maintain
the water supply indefinitely.
1t is believed here that the federals
are completely cut off from the outside
world, even by wire, although the wire
less stations may permit them to COM
nunicate with the national capital, 100
miles to the south. Villa processes to
believe that he will capture the entire
army.
Torreon although founded less than
thirty years 20, has a normal popula-
ton of $4,000. 1t has great soap, cotton,
flour and iron manufactures and q
great smelter receives ores from the
mines. Normally there Is a large foreign
colony but most of these residents have
fed, leaving only few as caretakers Of
important property.
Miss Rose Porter has resigned as sec