New-York tribune., 1915-03-23
Officials at Washington
Think He Can Stand
More Hard Knocks
TAMPICO'S FALL
EXPECTED SOON
Villas Forces Reported Within
Ten Miles from the Chief
Mexican Oil Port.
fFrom The Tribune Bureau. ]


Washington, March 22.-Notwltn-
standing continuous reports of sue
cesses by the soldiers of the convention
government Of Mexico, under General
villa and his subordinates, officials OF
the State Department are convinced
that the organization of First Chief
Carranza Is strong enough to stand
several additional shocks.
Recent reports from the fighting
zones assert that Matamoras is about
to be captured; Camargo is burning,
following its evacuation by the Car
ranzistas; Villa troops are within ten
miles Of Tampico, and, according to
unofficial claims OF the Villa agency
here. Tuxpam is already under Villa
sway.
At the same time the State Depart
ment has been assured by its agents
that the states Of San Luis Potosi
and Tamaulpas continue loyal to Car
rama; Vera Cruz is held by him, and
somewhere northeast of Mexico CIty
General Obregon, with powerful Con-
stitutionalist army, is still actiVeiy
operating against the Conventionists.
Expect Tampico's Fall.
II is confidently predicted by the Viii
lista agency that within a week Tam
pico and the vast oil fields surround
ing il will be occupied by the Nilllsta
forces, under General Chao, who, 1t -
declared, has penetrated beyond Ebano
10 a point less than ten miSs from
Tampico.
"The vanguard of the convention
army operating against Matamoras,'
says the agency, "has reached Reynosa,
less than sixty miles from Matamoras.
The civilian population of that port IS
fleeing across the Rio Grande, and the
Carranzista commandant at Matamoras,
General Antonio Villareal, has quit his
command, in the face of numerous de-
sertions from his followers"
The State Department received con-
firmation of this account from its own
agents. who said that Camargo, which
fell to the Villistas on Friday, was
burning.
The departments advices from Tam
pico, dated Saturday, said the Carran--
zista forces were retreating toward
Victoria. in the direction of Tamplco,
and the Villa forces were marching
against that place.
The number of foreigners in Tam
pico is stated as: Americans, $500;
British, 300; Italians. so; French, 5O;
Spanish, 1000, and Chinese, 1000.
Passenger Train Attacked.
Zapata's forces are evidently prepar-
| ing to capture the line of communlca-
tion from Mexico City to the coast at
! Vera Cruz. A passenger train was fired
| upon on Saturday, 100 kilometres out
! of Vera Cruz, and several passengers
/ and the engineer were wounded.
! Ambassador Spring-Rice of Great
/ Britain called at the State Department
| to-day to make the usual formal in
! uuiries as to conditions in Mexico. lie
said that a British vessel named the
/ America had been seized by the Mex
| leans on March 10, and, under the
| British ensign, its captors had COM
! PEELED certain ships to desist from
! loading or unloading at the Progreso
wharves. The vessel had been armed,
but as the incident had closed without
| loss of life or serious embarrassment
| to any one, and the ship was again IN
charge of her British crew, he was dis
posed to treat it merely as a curious
/ demonstration of the chaotic state of
affairs at Progreso before the United
/ States cruiser Des Mones arrived.
FL Paso, Tex, March 22.-GeOrge c.
Carothers, special agent of the State
Department, has been instructed by
| Secretary Bryan to make thorough
/ investigation of the arrest at Saltillo
of Minor Merriweather, an American,
on the charge of having counterfeit
Villa money in his possession.
Douglas, Ariz., March 22.-Henry
Carlson, an American soldier of for
tune. and Colonel Rivera Dominique,
a villa commander, are reported to
have been executed after a battle on
Friday which resulted in the capture
of Cumpas, Sonora, by a Carranza
force led by Colonel Ramingeos.