El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1915-12-30
ALVAR0 OBREGlN
MILITARY GENIUS
Sketch of the Man Who
Brought Hopes of Pancho
Villa to Ashes.
Continued from page u

at last to Sonora once more and the
end of the fighting
In spite Of all the rigorous service
of Oregon, and his energetic, deter
mined driving Of everything before him
towards the goal OF military successes.
there is another side TO the man. And
there is playfulness about him. He is
not too large in stature, either. and
his manner and poise are modest and
human.
An Epigramatic General.
Oregon has ideas, ana ideals. Epi-
grams are coined daily by him. His
logic is sound, and his conversation
is entertaining. He delights in hui
mOrOus sallies and repartee. Every
body who knows him likes him, and
likes him for himself He is human.
1t was at the battle of Leon that
Cen Obregon lost his right arm, an
operation taking off the shattered
hand and forearm just below the ell
bow. He was fighting Villa when ne
lost il. and. although Villa was his
personal enemy. his misfortune has not
war helped some. Gen. Obregon says
War is the greatest sport in life
There is the setting Of the stage for
the big play, the casting OF the char
acters, the evolving Of the plOt-the
drama itself"
Afraid OF Victorious villa.
Someone once congratulated Obregon
on the courage of the Sonora people
and himself, in fighting villa, no
torfous bandit and murderer" Then il
was that Obregon smiled and let fly:
No; the Sonora people Vanquished
Villa because they were afraid TO let
him succeed"
Obregon talked a little yesterday on
the decisive battle at Celaya. where
$4,000 Villa troops flung themselves
again and again upon his 5000 Car
rancistas. on the level plain, where he
crumpled them like tissue paper,
strewing the field with 1000 dead.
V.7c fc &c
Oufnumbered by villa.
I'VE were Il. 600 men. all fighters
many from the sturdy north country
Villa had IS 900. more than double our
1t looked bad
I'VE dug ourselves into trenches con-
structed like the circumference Of big
circles. Then we waited Villa had
dug himself in in a similar manner.
So we waited for him TO rush US. like
the bull he is in battle.
trenches facing Villas contemplated
advance with field telephones. and
gave specific instructions not to ire
shot until 1 gave the word Then
PAGES was the distance The enemy
must be close when we fired.
Watching and Waiting.
4 switched every machine gun 10
the front, and gave the 80 pace order
1 covered the entire front with sweep
of these rafting 'scythes, which now
down armies as hail does standing
wheat Every subcOmmander clamped
q phone receiver to his ear. and each
soldier got ready. Then we settled
down 10 wait
TT was tense work. that waiting.
The advance Of Villas forces began
coming at US They developed mOmen-
tum as they accumulated speed. We
waited. One hundred PAGES away they
were; but not a shot we fired Sixty
PAGES; and still they came unchecked.
Checking the villa HOrdes.
7 whispered the word through my
field telephone. They were so PAGES,
almost upon u.s. Fire. Like a cloud
burst, our whole front leaped into a
driving rain OF flame, steady, contin-
uous, murderous-
They fell like sheep. and piled up.
Four times they rallied and came at
US, rushing like stampeded rams And
still, when they got 30 PAGES thar
deadly machine gun fire moved them
down.
when 1t was over, Villistas lying
flat on the ground gave up by raising
their hands. They did not dare stand
They feared the annihilaung rain OF
our machine gun fire. Four thousand
dead strewed the enemy's field II was
To Wed soon.
While Oregon talked, his face grew |
tense and stern. he was living over !
again the dramatic moments Of Celaya, !
the turning point of the villa revolt.
the mortal wound TO the ambitions OF I
the northern bandit chieftain-
Later Obregon smiled and shrugged /
his shoulders when his right arm, IN 4
only half sleeve, was touched gently !
AT Leon he said simply
Gen. Alvaro Oregon is a widower, /
with two children. But he is 10 marry }
again. This time il is senorita Maria 1
Tapia, of Hermosillo, who is TO wed (
him He does not say when the cere- /
many viii be performed. but mods con-
tentedly and satisfies himself with (
Soon"
This Idea OF War.
On war, Gen Obregon had something !
more TO say before his interviewer lett
nan is Of the higher instincts: When !
4 people are aroused to wrath and,
snraged, fight for their ideals, there IS
nothing finer in the world than to lead
hem battle" And here il is well to {
-ecau that Obregon was one OF the I
-irst leaders to enlist in the cause Of
he AIaderO revolution, down from