New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-02-28
Impending Struggle in the North Will Put
the Dictators Army to
Its Real Test
WILL DISAPPEAR IF REBELS CONQUER
His Claim of 10000 Men Believed Far Too Great
$3.50 Being Nearer His Strength, and Most
of These Are Of Low Type.

, Because Of it's importance IN the
struggle. have been making every
possible effort 10 find something like an
exact estimate or the number OF the
Federal troops II is impossible to get
at the precise total, for the reasons
have already mentioned, among others.
a most careful estimate. based on IN
formation gathered from many sources,
official and otherwise, and confirmed as
far as I could do SO, puts the total at
50 go men. This is only an estimate.
however Some of the sources OF in
formation probably are wholly unre-
liable. But it is perhaps as accurate as
possible.
This figure includes all armed men
whether regulars, rurales. police. Fed
eral or state troops. In doubtful cases
the numbers have been overestimated
rather than otherwise.
Distribution Of Troops.
The greatest concentration Of troops
is at Torreon where there are now r.
600 men stationed in the city and out
posts. In Mexico City there are 5000
regulars and 900 armed police. The
distribution of the rest is approx
mately as follows:
Along two railroads To Vera Cruz
1850 men are stationed: on the railroad
from Mexico City TO Morelos. 1000: on
70 4 nd
at Puebla City. 1000 In the State of
Morelos are $500 men. and in the fol-
lowing states the numbers given Cam
peehe, 1000: Yucatan, 1900; Chiapas,
100; Tobasco, 1000; Quintero. 500;
OaXaca. $500: Guerrero. 1.50O: Mexico,
1000; Michoacan, $500; Jalisco and Co.
lima, 1000; Sinaloa and Topic, 5000;
Sonora. counting in the city of Quay
amas, $500; Guanajusto. Aguascalien-
ties. Zacatecas and the southern part of
Durango, $500; Hidalgo, 1000; Quere-
taro, 1900.
On the isthmus of Tehuantepec are
1900 men; in the city of San Luis Po-
tosi. 1000. and along the railroad from
san Luis Potosi 10 Tampico, 1000. At
Saltillo are 5000; Monterey and its
vicinity, 5000; Tampico, $500; Laredo.
1000, and on the railroad from Torreon
20 Saltillo. 1000.
In the city OF Vera Cruz are 800 SOL
d.ers, and in other parts Of the State Of
Vera Cruz, 1000; in Tuxpam, 1000 ana
in Lower California, 1000
In discussing or crticising the Mex
lean troops, if one points out their
weaknesses if should always be remem-
bered that they are not worse than the
enemy with whom they have TO fight.
Firing in the Air.
II is perfectly true, as plenty Of eye
witnesses can testify. that the ordinary
Mexican soldier thinks his chief mis-
sion in the field is TO fire away the
greatest possible quantity Of ammuni-
ton, regardless OF the direction in
which he sends his bullets. II is said
that firing into the air is the favorite
method Of disposing of load Of cart
ridges. But the other fellow follows
the same method; so the opposing sides
are not very dangerous to each other.
1t appears also to be true that many
OF the soldiers do not know what or
for whom they are lighting. Americans
who we're at the bombardment here
year ago tell me they frequently asked
the soldiers for whom they were fight
ing, and the men could not tell, any
more than Don Ricardo" All they
could tell was the name of their imme-
date commander and the knowledge
or none Of them went so high as under
standing the meaning of the terms
"Feicista" or "Maderista"
TafnranNeG to he