The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1915-09-20
Supporters Believe He Will
Be Recognized as Pro-
visiOnal President
GEN. VILLAS AGENTS
SCOFF AT CLAIMS
Claim That Reported Victories Over
zapatistas Were Without Foundation
and That Only Two Real Battles
Have Been Fought in Mexico.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 20. = Carran-
za''s local boosters are gratifed greatly
by the announcement which Secretary
Lansing made following Saturdays
conference of the LatinAmerican dip
lomats. They are satisfied that it means
the first chief viii be recognized as
provisional president of Mexico in the
near future.
Up the street, a few blocks, where
the Villa agency holds forth IN an ex-
pensive hotel suite, the Carranza claims
were seoffed at. With rising voices.
and swinging gestures the men on the
Villa payroll announced that the good
times were not over yet.
In the last few days a tendency has
been noticeable in Washington to ac-
cept the opinion that the administra-
ton may eventually be forced into
position where it cannot avoid recog-
nizing the Carranza movement.
1t is said that no one in Washington
wants Carranza personally recognized
| except that little group of paid agents,
| potential concession grabbers and IA
vored attorneys who have piled up
claims. No official of the administra-
tlon favOrs Carranza personally. They
look upon him as an irascible old man
| who is obsessed with an overpowering
hatred and suspicion of the United
States and everything American.
! There are excellent reasons for be
| lieving that Carranza would not be
/ be able to restore order or peace. Some
of the persons most vehementIy de
handing his recognition admit that the
moment a halt is called upon the pres
ent so-called military movements the
eonstitutionalist army will either re-
volt against the new government or
will break up into small bands and con
tinue the pillaging and looting whic h
they have practiced so constantly I'M
der the name Of liberty.
An example of the methods in which
warfare has been carried on in
Mexico for many months and the mo-
tives which possess many of the "pat-
riots was given out from a source
which cannot be doubted.
'The Carranza forces, - the inform
ant stated, ''has been well supplied
with ammunition. The Zapata people
have had no direct means of getting
ammunition.
"Frequently a regiment of Carran.
re s troops return to some head
quarters and announce that they had
wiped out Several hundred of Zapa
ia s followers. What actually happen
ed was this: The Zapata people had
used up all their ammunition in loot
ing adjoining properties. They had
had plenty Of coin and valuables but
! no more cartridges. They would sigma
to the Carranza force to make a deal
Whereupon the Carranza troops would
shoot off a few rounds of ammunition
thereby making a noise and mussing NJ
their guns.
''The commanders of the two forces
would then get together and make thu
trade. Zapata s followers would g
back and loot some more, and Carran
za's followers would report that the,
had won a great victory. Carranza
press agent thereupon would cable thu
facts to the United States and TIN
so-called constitutional agency il
Washington would issue a solemn-look
ing bulletin and the papers Throughout
the United States would proceed t
publish the story of the 'battle'
"This sounds ridiculous. 1t is abso
lutely true. With the exception of tw
battles that have been fought in Mex
leo in four or five years, you can Sc
better scraps in the Bowery bars mos
any night