The Sentinel=record., 1914-04-24
COMMANDER OF REBEL ARMY SAYS HE WILL NOT FIGHT
 AGAINST UNITED STATES.
UNLESS ORDERED TO DO So
Says Europe Would Laugh at Rebels If They Allowed Huerta to Draw Them Into a War--Pays a Visit to Fl Paso and Enjoys a Dinner.

Fl Paso, Texas, April 23.-General Francisco Villa, head of the rebel military forces, informed George C. Carothers, special agent of the state department, that he will decline to be dragged into a war with the United States by anybodV.
 Why" he smiled, as he threw an arm about the broad shoulders of the government representative, "all Eu- ! rope would laugh at us fl we went to war with you. They would say that
 little drunkard Huarta has drawn them into a tangle at last
 Villa said he was not consulted in the drafting of the Carranza note transmitted to Secretary Bryan last night and which was regarded as somewhat hostile in tone.
 The rebel leader told Carothers, who reported the interview to the state department tonight, that one of the chief reasons he came to Juarez was to show the American people that his attitude was friendly and that he did not fear to trust himeslf on the border without a military escort be hind him.
 Carothers took supper with Villa and canvassed the situation thor oughly
 Honest, said the rebel general be- tween mouthfuls, T hope the Ameri- cans bottle up Vera Cruz so tight that they cant get water into it. Your ad. miral is doing something it would have taken us a long time to accom- plish if we could have accomplished it at all"
 The general brought with him a hundred woven rugs of the softest lambs wool as a present for General Scott, who recently left Fort Bliss to become assistant chief of staff at Washington Carothers promised Jo| forward them with Villas congratula- tions to the recipient of the promo tion
 Villa said ne had arranged with all foreigners except Spa1iards to ship out their cotton from Torreon on pay ing a war tax, to which the foreigners had agreed. He said Spanish cotton was not included in the arrangement. having been confiscated. There are 75,000 bales there valued at $450,000 Roberto V. Pesquiera, Carranza s confidential agent here, insisted today that the note of his chief to Secretary Bryan was not hostile, but was in- tended as a basis for further negotia tions. He was expecting a reply from Mir Bryan setting forth the views of the state department.
 The rebel position is that the American troops should be withdrawn from Mexican soil, Carranza recog- nized as de facto president, or at least as a belligerenu, and the punishment of the individual Huerta and the! other individual offenders left to the rebels
 Carranza, it is recognized, would not hesitate to apologize and disayow the acts of one whom he considers traitor.
 T think his statement was fair and lIdHhs Sdlu TeSquclld' anu p9 ny means a threat of war" He was asked if the words used by Carranza, twill drag us into an un- equal warfare with dignity but which until today we desired to avoid" did not mean that Carranza at last did not desire war.
 Not at all" he replied. 'It could not mean that because I know that my chief wants peace" | For time it was thought the trans |
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