New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-04-08
yelasco Reported Ready to
Turn on Him with
$4,000 Federals.
pFBELS FEAR THEY
HAVE BEEN TRAPPED
Evacuation Regarded as Strategic
Move to Enable Huertistas
TO Join Forces.
INV Telegraph to The Tribune.

Iusrez. Mexico. April General
rancho Villa must fight to retain Tor
rom. il reports reaching this city
through unofficial sources are true. So
consistent are the reports to-day that
,;eb rebel officials, in the absence Of
direct news from Villa as to the situa-
lion at Torreon, are uneasy.
Three separate reports Of the concen-
ration Of Federal troops near Torreon
reached here to-day. Two came from
Federal sources, which are not gem
orally credited here, but the third re-
NOR, ,s SAID TO be from semi-ofticial
,ebel sources, and is causing apprehen-
sion.
concentrating near San Pedro, the
combined Federal forces Of General
Velasco. General Mas and General de
Moure are said TO be moving on Tor
reon and driving back the rebel cav
airy sent by Villa TO cut off the sup
nosed retreat of Velasco. The COM
bined Federal army is said 10 number
more than 10000 men.
Already il is said. large Federal
force has succeeded in getting between
Torreon and Bermejillo and has cut
Villas communication with the north.
This rebel officials deny. 1t also is
claimed that General Refugio Nelasco :
evacuation of TorreOn was not due 20
loss Of men or inability TO hold out, but
was a strategic move by which he
Planned to let Villa occupy Torreon
and then. by combining the Torreon
army with the achievements of Cen
erals Mas and De Moure which had
reached a point near San Pedro, sur
round the city Of TorreOn. bottle up
the rebel army and make an attack
which might be expected to be a crush
Ing blow 10 the rebel cause.
Nelasco had no such losses in the
Torreon battle as has been stated by
the rebels This is well known now even
10 the rebels. How large force the
Federals had in Torrcon still is un-
known to the rebels and TO the world
at large. He certainly succeeded in
taking the bulk of his army with him
when he left Torreon. He also took ali
Of his cannon and ammunition that
was worth taking.
Cannon left behind by the Federals
were the few voich had become use
less during the battle. and ammunition
left behind was similar to much Of the
rebel mmunition-inferior and unre-
liable. This. it is said, Villa has dis.
covered by testing the munitions capt
urod when he entered Torreon.
Although alarming reports were cir
culated on the American side Of the
river to-day that the Federals already
had started 10 battle for the recapture
Of Torreon. il was known this after
noon that there had been no fighting
to-day at Torreon or Gomez Palacio.
There has been fighting ut san Pedro
twenty eight miles away, and 1t has
not been with a small garrison left
there by Nelasco TO hold the rebels in
heck, as had been reported, but be-
tween an apparently large and strons
force Of Federals who are surprisingly
well fortified and abundantly supplied
with ammunition and big guns.
If Velasco, with the Torreon army,
look as many as COCO men from Tor
ieon. as is now believed, and if he has
joined the forces Of De Moure. with
5000, and Of Mas, with nearly as
many. the Federal army which still is
i'm the vicinity Of Torreon is nearly
twice as large as Villas army, since
he Torreon battle.