Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-05-05
DEFEAT Of OREGON
CLAIMED BY VILLA
Reported Result of Battle Be-
tween Mexican BeIIigerents
Near Trinidad Station.

Gen. Villa claimed defeat of Gen.
Obregons forces with a loss of 200
dead and many wounded in a message
given out by his confidential agency
here. This message was dated from
Leon and was as follows:
I'm battle yesterday with Obregon's
forces, the enemy was defeated. leav-
Ing 200 dead and many wounded on the
field. The fight took place south OF
Trinidad station
lowing message from Gen. Maytorena,
Villa governor of the state of Sonora.
dated Guaymas:
Our forces captured Navajo. but
evacuted 1t later to Carranza troops.
Our losses were fifty dead, and not
1000. as claimed by Carranza reports,
as our total strength was only loo
men. My reports are that the Car
rama losses were about equal to ours
Official advices to the State Depart
ment from central Mexico were lack
ing today.
Fighting Around Tampico.
Renewed fighting in the Mexican oil
| regions near Tampico was reported to
the State Department last evening in
| messages from Vera Cruz. which said
Villa forces had captured Panuca, about
fifty miles southwest of Tampico.
Officials of the British embassy here
displayed considerable anxiety over
| these reports. recalling that shell fire
] during the fighting near Ebano a
| month ago had fgnited some of the
British owned wells, on which the Brit
| ish warships depend for oil. Further
| information was sought by embassy Of
f1cials at the State Department. but the
department had no details Of the fight
ing.
Officials said that they would not be
surprised If the second battle between
the Villa and Oregon forces was now
in progress probably in the vicinity OF
| Celaya.
Summarizing mail advices from San
Luis Potosi a department statemen,
said:
There now appears to be an absence
Of the small bands of from twenty te
| five hundred men. which formerly dis.
| turbed the state and attacked planta-
lions, towns and railways. These bands
have been absorbed into larger military
| bodies or have been broken up. 1t Is
said that the military forces are now
| better organized and more distinct
| from the civil life of the communities
| At present there is no armed opposition
| to the forces of Gen. Villa in the San
| Luis Potosi district"
Aided Duval West.
Further messages from Vera Cruz
said railway officials had aided Duval
West. President Wilson's personal rep
resentative, in every way on his recent
trip from Mexico City to the Carranza
! capital. and that the appreciation OF
the Washington government had been
expressed.
The dispatches confirmed reports that
two members of the Carranza cabinet
were en- route to the United States. The
secretary of war and navy is commits
stoned to purchase three merchant ships
in New York for use on the gulf coast
and one in Vancouver for service or
the Pacific side. The secretary of To-
| mento is coming at the head OF a COM
mission to study oil land legislation in
the United States
The villa agency last night announced
the receipt of dispatch from Foreign
Minister Lombardo. at Chihuahua, say
ing reports that Gen. Villa had been
wounded by one of his officers were
without foundation.