Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1915-12-23
De Facto Government of
Mexico Makes Marked
Progress i'll Assumption
Of Civil and Military Au-
thoIity III Villa Territory
CHIHUAHUA CITY
IS OCCUPIED
General Manuel Ochoa,
Former Military Cover
nor at Juarez, RenOunces
Villa Cause and Joins De
EactO Government.
IRepubIican A. 2. Leased wirel

FL. PASO, Dec. 2O.-The de facto
government of Mexico made marked
progress today in assumption Of civil
and military authority throughout the
territory surrendered recently by fol-
lowers of Francisco Villa, according To
reports reaching here from various
sources. Villas whereabouts was still
unknown here.
General Jacinto Trevino. at the head
of a military force representing the de
facto government was reported to
have occupied Chihuahua City. Cen
craI AIvaro Obregon, whose forces rec
emily drove General Villa from Sonora.
was said to be cnroute from Nogales to
Juaroz to assume military control
General Manuel Ochoa, former Villa
military governor at Juarez today, re-
nounced the Villa cause and Joined the
De faCto government. Temporarily he
has been placed in control of the sur
rendered territory by Mexican Consul
Andreas Garcia. HipOlito Villa,
brother Of the deposed chief. was said
to have left Juarez for San Antonio,
Texas.
General Jose Rodriguez. until recent
~ one of Villas principal leaders. was
reported with a small force at Casas
facto government was unknown here
General Ochoa. the only officer OF
the Villa faction i'm Juarez who did not
sign the agreement of surrender De
cember 20 after accepting the terms OF
peace today, issued q proclamation to-
day TO the people on behalf of himself
and his troops pledginE allegiance TO
4 the de facto government. The procla
nation was published after Andreas
@ Garcia. Carranza consul here, had
I overruled action of former Villa gen
/ erals to place General Ysabel Robles
Z in charge of civil and military Organi-
Zations in the surrendered Villa terri
tory. and Ochoa in command Of former
Villa troops. Rohles previously had re-
tired from the Carranza and Villa fac
tiors.
The mystery surrounding General
I Villas Whereabouts baffed military
authorities. state department represen-
tatives and local police.
Last night Villa was expected to
reach Juarez at noon. according to re-
ports to the American consulate at
Juarcz For several days the report
has been current that Villa was at the
EuStilIos ranch west of Chihuahua
CITY. For four days commercial wires
I south of JuareZ carried no message
from the deposed northern chieftain.
The departure from Juarez of Amer
lean Consul Edwards coincident with
the first news Of Villas retirement
caused speculation as to whether he
had received instructions to receive
Villa at "A point agreed upon east of
here possibly Sierrablanca. Edwards
said he intended taking a brief rest.
oUr it was pointed out that he would
hardly leave for such reasons when
Mexican affairs might develop peril
80 Mrs. Edwards a Juarez. Mrs. Ed
wards secuted the published reason for
his absence and declared he left on
business. the nature of which and his
destination she would not give.
p The reported arrival of Trevino at
chihuahua and Ochoa's ratification oI
2. the surrender place. Villa. if still il
! Chihuahua state. between hostile fore
es- Should he seek to reach the United
= States. it is said, he is likely to come
/ to the border, east or west OF Juarez
as that city technically is unsafe be
Continued on Page Eighty