Bridgeton pioneer., 1914-06-04
$4,000 Men TO
HOLD VERA CRUZ
Funston Needs That Number,
Declares Correspondent.
HUERTA's MESSAGE TO ARMY

diers Prepare For the Struggle to
come-Fortifyins Route to Capital
and Planning to Attack Vera Cruz,
Now Surrounded by 1900 Mexicans.
Harry II. Dunn, a New Orleans
newspaper man, arrived at New Or
leans from Mexico and has copy of
circular which he says General Huerta
| caused to be distributed among his sol
diers around Vera Cruz a short time
ago. 1t follows:
"If you hear that have been cap
tured by the Americans you may be-
ieve it; if you hear that have been
| slain, murdered under the guise of an
execution by those of the north, you,
my brave soldiers, also may believe
| that, but If you hear that l have re-
signed tell all the world on the sacred
oaths of your swords that it is lie.
II have entered into no arbitration
agreement which includes my resigna-
tion. nor will 1 resign under any con-
sideration. Meanwhile bid you pre-
pare yourselves l bid you make ready
with all patriotic zeal for the struggle
which is to come"
"That circular" said Mr.. Dunn to a
New York Times correspondent, twas
distributed to the rank and file OF
Huerta's forces on the very day the
Niagara Falls peace conference was
decided upon. have ridden the Mexi-
can lines from outpost to outpost, talk
| ed with their commanders and have
found that they are fortifying every
desirable point along the route from
Vera Cruz to the City of Mexico. Not
only that, but there are now 1900
Mexican soldiers surrounding Vera
Cruz on three sides.
Sinister Preparations.
II am confident they will attempt
to recapture Vera Cruz, despite any
| mediation that may be effected, and
| have derived my opinion from talks
with high officials of the United States
| that are now in Vera Cruz as well as
| from personal observations of Mexican
| forces and talks with their officers.
Few persons know that only very
recently 1000 well mounted, armed
and hard trained rebels have deserted
their cause to join the federal forces
surrounding Vera Cruz and constantly
moving nearer to the port held by
American arms. Few realize that more
rebels are joining them daily and that
every preparation is being made by
the Mexicans. to attack Vera Cruz.
Huerta realizes that he can avoid
death at the hands Of Villa and Zapa-
ia only by having the United States
capture him, and he is determined this
shall be done at no matter what cost.
General Funston and his officers real
lie that this move Is being made on
the town. They need at least 10000
more American soldiers there today,
SO that when this attack does come
they will be prepared.
"a little north of Jalapa, at Paso
del Macho, a narrow rift in the noun
tain wall, Is General Garcia Pena, in
supreme command Of all the Huerta
forces in the state of Vera Cruz. Pena
recently succeeded General Gustavo
Mas, who evacuated Vera Cruz be-
fore the landing of American marines.
With him are 1000 federals made up
| Of tried and trusted men.
Huerta's Best Soldiers.
Following the line around to the
north and east toward the coast one
comes upon the little station of Tenn
bladeras on the Mexican railway.
| There is Candelario Fugarte, formerly
lieutenant of Zapata. Just back Of
| Tembladeras, so as to be well out of
sight and hearing Of the American out
| posts, there are encamped 1000 rebel
| cavalry, the best of the horde of 20,-
600 fighters which Zapata's four years
in the field have produced. These men
have no artillery, and | do not know
how many guns are in possession Of
| Garcia Pena at Pas0 del Macho, but
Fugarte's rebels are all mounted, fine
~ armed and abundantly supplied
with ammunition. all sent down from
Huerta's store in Mexico City. They
form probably the best fighting force
| Of all Huerta's Vera Cruz army.
Turning abruptly to the east, to-
| ward the gulf coast, one finds about
seven miles north of Vera Cruz the
celebrated leader, Rafael Ruiz, with
nearly 1000 men, mostly infantry.
There remains still another post.
! Almost due south of Vera Cruz, at
| Tejar, the waterworks which supply
| the port city, is Lieutenant Borrega.
/, with $500 mixed federals and rebels.
Linking these heavy posts all the
way around Vera Cruz are the nominal
outposts of the Mexicans, placed face
to face with the American outposts,
often only few yards from them. In
| these Mexican outposts appear only
| few ragged peon soldiers, always in
fewer number than the Americans In
| the opposing outpost. Yet not night
passes around Vera Cruz in which a
body of from 200 to 500 mounted Mex
| leans fails to appear where some