New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-04-26
Safety of Refugees in All Parts Of Republic
Becomes Paramount Issue-Mexico
City Rioting Continues.
VILLA BUILDING TRENCHES AT JUAREZ
Brings Nine Cannon to Border City and Prepares fo'
Action, While Earnestly Protesting His Friendly
Attitude Toward the United States.
by Telegraph TO The Tribune

by Telegraph 10 The Tribune
FL Paso, Tex. April 25-Despite his
assertion to-day. Il hope the United
States will hold Vera Cruz until my
troops can take Mexico City and over
throw Huerta." General Pancho Villa,
according to reports brought by Ameri-
cans tonight. is throwing up breast
works Of cotton bales in Juarez and is
Of Juarez next TO FL Paso. This work
il is said. was started Friday night
after Villa had closed the port Of
Juarez so that no Americans could see
what was being done.
The rebel general. moreover. sent
nine cannon from Chihuhua to
Juarez to-day. He says they were
taken there for repair work. al
though there is a foundry in Chi
huahua which can do repair work of
that character, and there is none in
Juarez. He says American mechanics
will do the repairing. and that the
cannon are some he captured at San
Pedro and Torreon from the Federals.
He continued to-day 10 express his
friendliness for the United States and
said he was not in sympathy with
the stand taken by Carranza. Gen
eral CarranZa's statement TO President
Wilson was a great mistake" Villa
col m Ar1lA ft,a
John Roberts. He added that he had
no quarrel with the United States and
that he had purposely prolonged his
stay in Juarez TO prevent any overt act
being committed by Mexicans in Juarez
which would cause the animosity Of
Americans.
Villas Officers UnfrlendIy.
Efforts TO confirm the report of war
like preparations in Juarez by Villa
have failed. but the Americans are
unable TO reconcile Villas friendiness
for Americans with the unfriendly atti-
tude Of his officers and men, and the
reDel leaders sincerity Is doubted on
the American side.
Tonight a second battery Of field ar
tillery is on duty in FL Paso, Battery
B, Sd Field Artillery, having arrived
this morning from Fort Sam Houston.
Two batteries of the 9th Field Artillery
are on their way from Fort Riley, Kan
sas, and three thousand infantry OF the
18th, 9th and 10Th Regiments from
the Preside at San Francisco.
General John ]. Pershing, who will
command the border troops here, is ac-
companying the infantry, and the first
of the troop trains is expected to ar
rive tomorrow afternoon.
In response TO telegram from Gov
ernor o. B. Colquitt, Sheriff Edwards
to-day announced that no company Of
home guards. such as are being organ
ized in border towns. would be formed
here A Sheriffs posse Of five hundred
is available when needed and the city
and county police forces have been
strengthened.
FL Paso is much less nervous to-
night than at any time since Carranza
sent his ultimatum to President Will
son. and il is felt that with the troops
now on their way here there will be
little danger of Villa taking the ag-
gressive.
Offer Of Huertistas Refused.
A delegation of Huertistas In FL Paso
Is said to have sent an offer to Villa
TO join his forces. 1t is added that the
offer was refused because II carried
with II the provision that Villa should
oppose United States activity in Mex
leo. Villa sent word to the Huerta
svmpathizers, 1t is declared. that 1t
would be better for them to join the
Huerta army, as Huerta needed their
services much more than he did.
Villa did not leave Juarez to-day.
but he sent for his wife and family.
Mrs. Villa has closed the home she
has been occupying In FL Paso and has
returned to rebel territory with her
furniture and personal belongings.
Villa said to-day that business would
detain him at the border for several
DAYS He did not say what was the
nature of the business. but intimated
that he had some cotton which he was
eager to sell.
Sefora Villa has been occupying an
unpretentious house at 610 North Ore
gon St, in Ell Paso. She has been here
for two months, while her husband has
been driving Federal forces from North
Chihuahua, and her big automobile,
Continued on page Z. column !