The Washington times., 1914-05-07
REBEL FORCES HAVE
THREE BIG VICTORIES
Conyerging Campaigns on Mex
can Capital Show Marked
Successes.

| Three great constitutional victories
mark the progress of three conycrgihe
campaigns against Mexico City. They
| are:
The defeat OF $500 fedc-als at PanaE
! COS. near San Luis Potosi, by Gen
Valdes Torres. The rebels captured
| General Arzarmendi, the federal com
| mander. all the officers of his staff
| three military trains. 1.s0o prisoners, and
| a quantity OF arms and ammunition.
The capture of Acapneta. 100 miie'
south of Mazatlan, on the west coast
The Federal garrison OF 1,sp0 men were
taken prisoners. Besides, 100 Mausers
three field guns, several machine guns
| and 10000 rounds OF ammunition
| were captured.
The defeat of a strong force Of fed
erals near. Saltillo by Gen. Pablo Con
! zales. The federals were cut off from
| the city and outnanked. Six field guns
| a rapidfire gun and large quantity
o. ammunition were captured.
Three distinct campaigns are in ac-
| tive operation. each within about 800
mics of Mexico City. General Obre-
gon, with l5,o0S men, operating from the
Pacific coast side, has captured all the
intervening territory. is besieging Ma
from the west.
Another division has fought a battle
at PcnZacos, near San Luis PotoS!,
| which is S27. miles by rail north OF
Mexico City, but much nearer in a di-
rect line. This is the southernmost
point the constitutionalists have reach
ed in central Mexico, and with the
army now attacking Tampico. they de-
care tnat the general advance on the
Mexican capital is to he made within
i no
enthusiastic villa is reported as say
| ing within three weeks.
The Significance.
The significance of these constitu-
| tioualists successes lies in the fact tina t
| San Luis Potosi is far south of SAL
| tiilo. and only about zoo miles from
Tampico on the west ard Mexico City
on the south. General Carranza's re-
port of the desperate condition of the
| fedcrals at Mazatlan was coincident
with reports from Rear Admiral How
ard. who stated that land and sea
| engagement was carried on there
throughout yesterday, the constitu-
| tionalists firing rifles and field guns
from Piedra Island, while the federal
CJInboat Morelos WAS supported by the
federal shore batteries.
san LUIS POlOSl, anu HOl Sdittilo. -
now the main object of the constitu-
| tionalists in their advance on Mexico
Citv IN conjunction with their cam
paien AGAINST Tampico. PenaZcos is the
| first station north of San Luis fotosi
on the railway running south from Sal
tiIIo and Monterey. 1t is not more than
ten or fifteen miles from the city. and
near enough to indicate that the con-
stitutionaliSts intend to attack San Luis
Potosi at once. In fact, representatives
of General Carranza in washington
said today that this was tneir piah Oh
The capture Of Acaponeta, on the Mexi-
can west coast, about 100 miles south
OF Mazatlan blocks the only railway by
which Hucrta might escape TO Che west
last port OF Mazatlau. 1t is on the
main route to Guadalaj jara, the capture
of which would also cut off Huerta 5
other west coast route of fight to Man
Zanillo.
The Southern Limit.
With constitutionalists haIumerinS at
| the defenses of Tampico. at the gates
! of san Luis Potosi, and in possession
| OF Csponcta, a glance at the map Will
/ snow that Il straight line drawn from
! TsmpiCo westward across Mexico to
| Acaponeta also passes through San
| Luis Potosi and this line marks the
! SOutlern limit OIL IAe duNa ahSS VI I'M
constitutionalists toward Mexico City.
| Constitutioaalist re-eriorcements, with
| heavy artillery. nave arrived at TAM
pico from Monterey. and with these
| they expect to be in possession OF Tam
! piCo within a week.
Gonzales and ObTegon nave taken
! ? 100 Mexican federals as prisoners, and
| the loss OF these men is regarded as a
severe blow to the Huertista cause
Generals Gonzales and ObreSon are the
! two highest ranking officers in the con-
! Stitutioaalist cause.
1t is not understood to be the purpose
| of General ObrcSon to pursue his west
! coast campaign farther south than
| ManZanillo and the region around
| GuadalaJdTa. From these points his
energies will turn eastward toward
! Mexico City. The region south of Mex
| leo Cit,- is being left to the activities
o. Zapata, who. while not Officially
!Gertincd with the const:tutionalists.
and operating Independently, is in sym
! nathy with the COnstitutionalist oPposi-
ton to HUerta.
Mexican fcderals still have force at
| Saltillu. bat the cOustitutiOnalists here
| have adyices InfOrrIinG them that the
| evacuation Of that place is soon eN-
pectad. Tney do not anticipate any
trouble in taking SSItiIlo. They assert
thst the focus of the central Mexico
campaign IS now far south Of Saltillo.
at The gates OF San Luis iotoSi. where
The IlUerta forces, numbering 500 were
defeated NJ pcnaScOs