The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-07-17
RECOGNITION Of
MEXICAN remote
Warning Faction that Gains 1t
Must Show Complete Mill
tary Supremacy.
HOW OFFICIALS VIEW IT
Capture of Mexico City Regarded as
Disadvantage and. Therefore. With
out Bearing on Question.

Nothing in the situation either here
or in Mexico justifies the expectation,
held in interested quarters and sought
to be communicated to the press OF
the country. that the recognition OF
4 the Carranza faction in Mexico is a
prospect of the immediate future.
This statement is made on authority
1t may be said further that nothing
short of the complete military su-
premacy of either the Carranza Or
the Villa factions would call for the
| recognition by the United States o.
either as the de facto government.
! Officials here see nothing of i'm
mediate bearing on the question of
| recognition in the capture of Mexico
City by the Carranza forces. Recogni-
| tion must be based on ability to main
| tain peace: this in turn must be based
on military supremacy. The capture
| of Mexico City by the CarranZista
forces is regarded as a disadvantage
| in a military sense. Therefore, 1t can
have no immediate bearing on the
question of recognition.
| Viewpoint of Administration.
AS indica ting the viewpoint of the
| administration. a very high official.
when asked yesterday II he could see
any improvement in the Mexican sit
uation. replied:
1T would be very hard to say If
there is any change down there"
The fact that Gen. Gonzales, the Car
ranzista comma nder. seems to be doing
we'll in the restoration of order in the
| Mexican capital has. Of course. its bear
ing on the immediate attitude of this
government as has the obvious desire on
the part of Gen. Carranza himself to
pla cate the administration and regain its
confidence at this time. But nothing that
has transpired in the last few days has
indicated the probability of a speedy
military ascendancy over the Zapata-
Villa forces by Carranza.
Villa himself has renowned any desire
for the political leadership of Mexico
and has offered to support Vasques Ia
gle. who was a member Of the Madero
ca inet and who is the only living men,
Der who has never registered his pori-
folio in the last constitutional govern
ment, and is therefore exploited as the
constitutional president of the republic.
1t ia even reported unofficially that
Villa has offered to support any man
whom President Wilson will suggest, but
either OF these: considerations must wait
on Villas military supremacy. which at
present, to say the least. is no nearer
contamination than for some time past.
Currency Situation Confused.
Reports from Mexico City tell Of confu-
sion worse COMPOUNDED in the currency
situation. 1t has been discovered that
Gen. ObreGon In evacuating the city be-
fore the Zapata entry last year left be-
hind some Of the plates from which the
constitutionalist government had been
printing its currency. These plates have
since been used unlawfully to turn out
millions of pesos of unauthorized cur
rency, and as a result the Carranzistas
are considering repudiating all treasury
notes turned off of these plates. the au-
thorized as we'll as the unauthorized
AS the Villa-Zapata currency with
which the capital has been flooded also
has been repudiated, the country is with
out even the fiat money which both
factions have been turning out as fast
a big power presses could work. and all
unhoarded gold has been taken up long
since.
Trains Leave Vera Cruz.
The State Department has been inform
ed by Consul Canada In Vera Cruz that
eleven trains have been gotten through
to Mexico City. despite the activities
of the Zapata forces. which are harry
the line of communication. The dispatch
does not state that any of the trains
carried food, but the Red Cross has ar
ranged to purchase large quantities of
corn for shipment from Mobile and New
Orleans to Mexico City, via Vera Cruz.
In other parts of the country. however,
the food situation is becoming worse
daily. with no immediate prospect of i'm
provement.
Although President Wilson will have
before him on his return to the White
House a comprehensive summary Of the
situation in Mexico. 1t Is not expected
that any definite change or advance in
policy will be announced while the Ger
man controversy remains in so unsettled
state.
villa Claims More Territory.
In an effort to show that Carranza is
not entitled to recognition by the United |
States the Villa agency here last night |
gave out statement purporting to DEM |
onstrate that the Villista followers con- |
troll far more Mexican territory than |
the Carranzistas. According to this |
statement, the Villa element controls the |
states of Sonora, Zacatecas. Chihuahua, |
Morelos, Durango, and northern Lower |
California, while the Carranzistas con-
troll Chipas, the territory of Quintana |
Roo, Colima, and southern Lower Cali |
fornia. The state of Oaxaca is said to |
maintain neutrality. In the following |
states, according to the claim of the Viii |
listas, their forces hold more territory |
than the CarranZistas. Guerrero, |
Puebla. Tlaxcala, Mexico, Hidalgo. |
Guanajuato Queretaro. San Luis Potosi, |
Aguas Calientas. Coahuila. and the |
territory of Topic. The Villa forces |
claim to be operating in the states OF |
Tobasco. Campehce. Nuevo Leon, Sim |
aloa. Tamaulipas. Jalisco. Mchoacan. |
Yucatan. the federal district and in |
northern and southern Vera Cruz.
In the statement issued by the Villa |
agency last night it is stated that Obre-
CONS advance northward fits into a
strategic plan (which it would be un-
wise to disclose at this time" Gen.
Villa is quoted having wired his
agency as follows:
We have not been defeated and il I |
am apparently retreating We will soon
show the Carranzistas I have not lost
my strength
A statement from the Carranzista
agency here claims that the Zapatistas
have been defeated at Contrareas with a
loss of SEQ men. five locomotives, a large
number of box cars. nine cannon over
100 900 rounds of ammunition, two ma
chine guns. and large quantities of mixed