Evening journal., 1914-02-25
DEFIANCE OF
VILLA CAUSES
WASHINGTON
UNEASINESS
Continnad Nom mi paae !

continued from hlret Fage.l
for qucs notion at short notice More
mriine-. however, ave being rushed 10
ADMIRAL Fletcher at Ncru Cruz. 1he
-ront cruiser Chester. her buukers filed
with coal and her ammunition maca
zines packed, cleared at daylight this
morning from Alohile harbor Sue con
$50, c4 ...c transport Prairie with $50 ma.
rincs ON board, and the monitor Tono.
pah lin ionopah carried additional
small srils and rapid fire gun ammmi-
tion for tho Fletcher ileet, which - al.
ready Tie most formidable ever estah.
ished in Mexican waters. with the sim
ge exception ol the neat heet which
Admiral Evans took around the horn
These marines are rll picked men. They
win be- held on the Prairie with Others
lraiies from ODE vessels of the fleet
ready lor action at u moments notice
ii u,e crisis como. they will be rushed
by aii 60 Mexico City 10 protect for
cigners.
The Coussitutlonalist agent here
today received word OF the voluntary
surrender at Topolobampo. State Of
Slnel0a, OF the Mexican Federal gun
loai Tampico. AS far as could be-
told from the dispatch here. tho
have sworn allegiance TO the Consti-
tutionalist cause. 1t was expected
here that The vessel would be used by
the Carranzisias in the assault on
Ouayamas.
Bryan at White House.
Secretary bryan visited the White
House shortly before the r. iosic0nt
came 90 his Once th,s morning. Sec
NIf4.n ID.
statement other than that 40 addi-
tionai advicea had been received
from Mexico up 10 l0.45 o'clock He
said that SO far as yesterdays dis
patches were concerned, the first one
wae a distinct and positive refusal
from villa to permit anyone TO view
Bentons body at this time.
To this message a reply was sent
through Consul letcher at Chihuahua
City informing villa that his position
was considered most unfrieudly by
this government IL was after this
message hu1 been delivered and Just
before midnight that Letcher notified
the state Department that villa was
willing to have Benton's body disin-
',rod and TO permit the widow and
relatives 90 view 1t 'in the presence
G. lCp esentatives designated by the
United States government Bryan
would not Intimate what reply had
been sent 20 this message. II is
known. however. that strong repre-
ecntatlOns have been made 20 both
villa and Carranza to have the body
delivered as Oringinaliy demanded
S. ould villa maintain his refusal the
sia,c department Is considering the
adsisability of accepting the proposal
for an inspection OF the body and
d : gnating a United States army sur
gcOn to be one of the representatives
oil the government 20 be present at
the grave. This question was dis
cussed by Secretary Bryan and Sir
Cecil Spring-Rice. the British am
hassador today Whether a decision
was arrived az is known only to
them.
The chief essential in the entire Ben.
ton ease, the British ambassador insists,
IS 20 determine the truth OF falsitv Of
the reports current along the border
that Benton was beaten and shot TO
death by Villa himself and that It was
"a dead body which was courtmartiaicd
and stood up against the wall before the
rifles OF Villas firing party.
Whether IL would be poss Bile for
surgeon to determine this from eur
sorry examination OF the body instead OF
By proper autopsy is the question be-
ing considered by both the State De-
partment and the British ambassador.
Expect Battle at Tepeyahualco.
AlENlCO CITY, Feb. 25.-A battle
was hourly expected today at the town
of Iepeyuhualco. on the luter-Occanic
railway, where rebels have been holding
mp Vera Cruz passenger trains a large
force of federals was sent out to rout
the insWrcctos and clear the railway.
Oeneral Blanquet, minister of war,
said today that Constitutionalists were
again reported gathering for an assault
ON Mazatlan on the west coast They
are expected to ettack the town within
q few days because General talranza
has issued imperative orders that the
. rebels must capture a seaport The re-.
hc's are expected go make desperate
effort % tukc two Mexican cruisers
Which prc CYL Masatlau.