The Washington herald., 1914-05-02
HUERTA NEARING
END OF HIS ROPE
Disafection Among Federals
Is Knocking Props from
Under Dictator.
PLAYING WAITING GAME
Funston Reports Mas Forces Shll
Lettering About Soledad. Pre-
pairing for Hostlities.
By JOSEPH P. ANNIN,
staff Correspondent of The Wash
ington Herald.

Vera Cruz, May L-victoriano Huerta
seems to be nearing the end Of his rope,
according to refugees arriving from Mexi'
CO City. Between disaffection among his
own following and renewed activity on
the part of the rebels, the dictator has
practically decided that the best thing
for him to do is to get out from under as
best he can.
PLAYING n Waiting Game.
1t stin is the same old story-there is
nothing definite and the willy old fox,
while seeming to be on the brink Of dis
aster, may be merely playing the we'll
known waiting game. The latter is the
view which the United States military
forces here continue to hold and is in
part, at least, borne out by reports that
Gen. Mas. former federal commander
of Vera Cruz. is sill lettering in the vi
cinity Of Soledad with a large force of
troops engaged in what Gen. Funston s
scouts take to be preparations for hos
tiHties The scouts and friendly Mexi-
cans report that Mas has still another
large force Of troops further back along
the railroad to Mexico City. Federal
patrols have been espied close to the
American lines.
Gen. Funston has discovered that the
800 tons of provisions which Admiral
Fletcher's men discovered in freight cars
and reported as having been consigned
to Vera Cruz merchants, is really the
property of an avaricious group of spec
ulators who shipped the foodstuff here
with the intention of selling it at ''wa-
prices in case of famine and reaping
affat fortune from it. The provisions
are now stored IN warehouses and Gen.
Funston announced today that. il the
necessity arises, they will he seized and
distributed among the starving natives
However, the food situation is much
improved. The farming population, out
side the city. mas become impressed with
the fact that the Americans mean no
harm to peaceful Mexicsns and, as a re-
suit, produce and cattle are coming into
market at almost the normal rate.
RnRchers Appeal for Aid.
In this connection a curious incident
occurred today when a party Of Mexi-
cans appealed TO Gen. Funston for aid
against their own countrymen. The men.
ranchers in the vicinity OF the city, COM
planned that the soldiers Of Gen. Mas
force had been raiding their farms and
running of cattle under the noses of the
American outposts, as well as prevent
ing them from driving cattle to the
market of Vera Cruz. Gen. Funston in
structed Col. Waltz, commander of the
regiment on outpost duty, to see to it
that the ranchers were protected.
The bodies of the seventeen brave boys
who were murdered by snipers during
the occupation of the city. will soon be
on their way to the United States. Ad-
miral Badger today wired the Navy De-
partment for permission to send the bat
tleship Montana TO New York Monday
or Tuesday with the dead of the fleet.
Charge O'Shaughnessy and his wife and
child sailed for New Orleans today on
the feet tender Yankton. 1t is under
stood here that O'Shaughnessy is to
hurry TO Washington to confer with
President Wilson and Secretary Bryan
on mediation matters. The Yankton is
due to reach New Orleans Tuesday.