Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-03-21
END OF CARRANzA
IS BELIEVED NEAR
Washington Looks for Early
Elimination as Factor in
Mexican Affairs.
PREPARES FOR LAST STAND
Fortifying Vera Cruz in Antici.
patton of Attack by Villa
Zapata Forces.
Especial to The Tlmes-D,spa,ch ]

Washington looks for the early elm
ination OF General Carranza as a fac
tor In MeXico's affairs
Adv!ces reaching the State Depart
ment are to the effect that he is dis
posing his forces in Vera Cruz for a
last stand against villa.
The advices state that Carranza
forces arc digging trenches and forti-
Tying Vera Cruz with a series of barbed
wire stockades. In anticipation Of an
attack by Villa-Zapata forces. The
wire entanglements are set threo kilo-
motors north OF the city. from tho
leach TO La Garta. on the railroad. and
Will bo continued to Tcjeria. When
completed. they will circle tho city In
sem!circular sweep The question
TINT Is already occupying the attention
o. tho administration In Washington Is
The effect the removal OF Carranza will
have on Mexico
Al tho present time Villa and Zapata
are in alliance. Experience has shown
that alliances Of Mexican leaders sell
dom last when victory Is accomplished
end tho time arrives when one of them
is elevated TO position Of supreme
power. II is not unusual for the other
10 lead revolution OF his own
UNABLE TO rRoPHEsY
WITH ANY ASSURANCE
Whether this process Of one revolu-
ton after another is to continue IS
something which the officials OF the
state Department admit themselves un-
able to prophesy with any degree of
assurance.
A contributory cause for the crum-
bling OF Carranza's power is said to be
disaTcc;ion among his officers Ad-
vices received at the State Department
from Tampico report that General
.abio Gonzales is resentfui OF Car
r;inza's orders that all the oil taxes
collected In the Tampico district shall
lie paid into the treasury at Vera Cruz
The Carranza agency here denies that
Carranza's purpose Is TO collect all
available funds TO finance his flight
IT is intimated instead that the money
VIII be used to strengthen the defcnses
OF Vera Cruz.
Nevertheless, It is known that the
State Department has been Informed by
It's special agents In Mexico that tho
reason for Carranza's move to Vera
Cruz was to get TO the sea AS one
agent reported:
He want n gang plank out"
CARRANZA EXPECTED
TO LEAVE MEXICO
The expectation al the state Depart
inen,. therefore. Is tina, Car-anza Will
lice Mexico just as Huerta did before
nim The foreign ports that are most
convenient are Havana, New Orleans
and Galveston.
In addition to his activity IN fort!fy-
Ing vera Cruz and giving every In
dicnt!on OF preparations for stand
OF some kind. Carranza is reported
10 be selling the large quantities OF
food supplies which he has in storage
and demanding gold in return for them
While the CarranZa agency here SAYS
OF this also that 1t is for the purpose
OF raising money TO strengthen the
tefcnses. there is n strong belief In
Washington that CarranAa Is convert
ing every available asset Into the most
liquid form OF money as n preliminary
step to changing his address TO a
country where Mexican currency does
ret pass as legal tender
Reports to the State Department In
oicate that CarranZa's position Is daily
becoming more perilous. Recent VIC
tories OF the V!llistas have practically
cleared tho northern sections OF Mex
leo OF Carranza troops. and villa is
iow pressing to attack in the Tampico
region. The belief is expressed here
that II Carranza should leave the coun-
try suddenly, the opposition to Villa,
n least in the east would crumble
and tho Carranza troops around Tam
Iico would join the V!llistas imme-
ciately.
a dispatch to the villa agency late
to day announced the crushing defeat
Of the Carranza troops ut CRmargo, a
border town fifty miles above Mata-
moros, the seaport opposite Brownsville,
Texas.
RECEIVED AT MATAMORoS
The villa consul at Brownsville re-
ports that many wounded CarranZistas
are being received at Matamoros, and
the fall OF that citS within !, few days
Is expected. The fall OF Camargo
leaves the Villa troops in complete con-
troll OF the State OF Nucvo Leon
Secretary OF State Bryan said he was
without dispatches to-day from Mexico
City, but he was confident the position
Of American and other foreigners there
is less critical.
Judge Charles A. Douglas, OF this city
who has been comforting with Carrnnza
at Vera Cruz for some weeks returned
here to-day He said:
"Carranza impressed me as being
friendly to the United States"
Judge Douglas said he had made sup-
gestions to General Cnrranza as to
bringing Americans out of Mexico City
and for settling the troubles at Pro-
greso, to which Carranza had agreed.
y committee representing the grow
ers Of hemp fiber In Yucatan, headed by
julius Anar. called at tho State Depart
ment to day to interest 1t i'm the estab-
lishment Of peace in Yucatan. The COM
- mittee came up from Vera Cruz on the
same vessel with Judge Douglas.
It Is feared by the planters that the
continuance OF revolutions In Yucatan
will lead to condition of disorder
which will free the Indian laborers, and
perhaps send them out on the warpath.
Some OF tho authorities In Yucatan say
that plantations might be razed and
that the old-time revolutions In San Do
mingo and Haiti might be repeated in
Yucatan. The committee talked with
the officials OF the Latin american Blu
reau. They will have conference on
Monday with Secretary OF State Bryan,
~. o (Continuod an aaoond paaal-