The Sentinel=record., 1914-03-21
HIS ARMY, 12,o0o STRONG, HAS NOW INVESTED ToRREoN AND
 WILL ATTACK SOON.
WILL CAPTURE IN A WEEK
Says Villa, Who Is in Personal Com mand of the Army-F ederaIs Num- Der 5000 and Have Artillery and Ammunition in Plenty.

Constitutionalist Headquarters, Yer mo, Durango, Mexico, March 20.- Gen. Villa and his army of 12,000 reb els today invested the federal strong hold of Torreon.
 The khaki-clad members occupied the e1virons of the city without op- position and today was spent in wheel ing and dragging field pieces into DO sition to shell the federal trenches dug at every point where the federal commander, Gen. Velasco, expects at tack.
 Velasco's army is estimated to num- Der 5000 men. South and southwest of the city his position is regarded as almost impregnable by reason of the mountains through which only three passes run and these have been rendered almost impossible by forti- fications and barbed wire entangle- ments. In other directions the city is reached through the desert and high hills.
 Villas progress has been slow be. cause it was necessary to repair rail roads and bridges. Early today, how ever, the road was open from Yermo, where the troops have been mobiliz- ing, to Mapimi and Bermejillo. which are only few miles north of Tor reon, and virtually are suburbs of that city
 At these two cities. after sGffer' they were stuffed like figs in a box and with little water. the troops de trained and in the intense heat form ed in columns.
 There was little loss of tims in plungiag into the desert, some mount ed and others on foot. Great clouds of fine desert dust marked their prog ress over hummocks and cacJi-cover, ed sand and through dry watercourses. Great tank wagons, laden with the wa ter supply which has been Villas greatest problem. rumbled in the trail, the wheels at times almost hub- deep in the sand. When branchNi of the tough mesquite bush and soap wood were matted under the wheels, sturdy peons put hands to the spokes. There were streams of profanity ad dressed to mules in a language said to be in this respect the most ade- quate in the world, and the column would proceed
 The lips of the few fore gners in the army were cracked and "wollen from the heat and alkali dust. but tre Mexicans, trained to such conditions covered their mouths with folds of their blankets and fared better. All eyes were bloodshot.
 In this way, amid all the suffering which the harshest waste of arid land in Mexico can furnish, the outskirts of Torreon were reached.
 There was no opposition aud Cen Villa declared there had been mono since he began to repair the railroad south of Jiminez. The federais con tented themselves with strewinE all nossible obstacles except bullets m the way. There were occasional eX changes of shots between outposts.
 Gen. Villa was everywhere, Tor now that the eve of the battle is It hand he is a fury of energy, now grabbing the halter of refractory mule, now criticizing the flashing of pack sad dle or snapping orders at lesser | leader.
 He went from point to point Tn ms private car, attached to iiglt en- zine. and wherever he aliehfed' HIS horse, saddled and bridled, wAs in stantly awaiting.
 "Torreon will be mine in week. he exclaimed. jubilantly "Nov.T was revolutionary army in Mexico had better men, and never have they been so thoroughly equipped. Every prep sration has been made and we cant fail.
 It is no figure of speech to say that the light of battle burned In the rebel leaders eyes. They are extraordinar fly wide set so that when he looks at a visitor at close range them seem almost to cross and their dark depths always glowing. seem actually to flame in moments of excitement. His sub ordinates rarely ever argue with hin and in such moments never It IS danger signal, one which the Brit ish subject Benton Is sad to have failed to heed.
 Gen. Angeles. chief Of the artillery icorps, was named second in command