New-York tribune., 1915-03-16
CARRANzA BACKS
DOWN TO WILSON
AND TO SPAIN
Lifts His Blockade of Pro
gresO on Demand of
United States.
MADRID RECEIVES
MEXICO'S APOLOGY
Washington Believes Admins
tratiOn Counts on Villa to
Restore Order.

From The Tribune Bure,u1
Washington, March l5.--ln view Of
the more insistent attitude Of the
United States, General Carranza has
shown disposition to back down from
sore Of his more recent high-handed
performances in Mexico, and to-day's
dispatches to the State Department in
dicated that he had withdrawn the
blockade Of Progreso and had told his
one movable gunboat, the Iaragosa, TO
hold off from further interference with
commerce at that port.
At the same time Carranza was back
ing down 20 the United States he was
indicating to Spain that he had found
he had been little hasty in dismiss
ing the Spanish Minister summarily
from Mexico City and compelling him
to seek a haven aboard an American
nan of war, and was apologizing to the
Spanish government, even to the eX-
tent Of inviting Spain to redesignatc
the same diplomat to Mexico City.
Senor Juan Riano, the Spanish Am
bassador. who was at the State De-
partment to-day. said that in all likeli-
hood the apology Of Carranza would be
accepted and "A new minister would be
sent to Mexico, but there was no
chance that the former minister would
be reappointed. He also said that Don
, Manuel Walls Merno, counsellor of
the embassy here, who had been men
, toned for the Mexican post, would not
be sent.
Dispatches announcing that Carrsnza
/ had raised the blockade of Progreso
were sent by Rear Admiral CapertOn
at Vera Cruz. who reported that the
/ Gunboat Zaragosa was returning to
Vera Cruz. These dispatches passed
on the way the Presidents note to
/ Carranza demanding that the blockade
/ be lifted.
Villa Starts Campaign.
The confidential agency Of the con-
/ vention government (Villista) in Wash,
/ ington announced tonight that General
Villa had begun his final campaign
against the Panuco oil fields now held
by a Carranzista forrc and surorund-
/ ing the port of Tampico. twas stated
that Villa was in personal command of
the column moving from Monterey
eastward toward Tampico. Villa de-
clared he believed the capture of the
oil fields and of Tampico would take
only few weeks.
Opinion gains ground in Washington
that the administration is satisfied that
in Villa has been found the leader who
can suppress the almost universal ten
dency to revolution in Mexico, at least
for the present. 1t is evident that the
administration is done with Carranza.
The Cientitico Junta, which is expect
ed to consult with the State Depart
ment this week, will suggest that II
the United States cannot sanction the!l
general reactionary movement 1t Will
at least permit them to take part in
directly in the support Of villa as
preferable in the long run to Carranza
Another Agency Set Up.
A new Mexican confidential agency
was set up in Washington to-dsy, to
rival the Carranza and Villa esttollsh-
ments and bring prominently before
the American government an element
in the complicated situation below
D tne klO NIdHlC. W WiAth op Adt FNHAA'
attention has been paid. Jose Vas
concelos is in charge and he repre-
gents Eulalio Gutierrez, who IS said tc
be at the head Of an independent - owe
ment i'm Central Mexico, backed by
$4,000 soldiers.
Gutierrez was elected Provls'o ona'
President of Mexico by the Aguascali-
entes convention, and for short time
ruled in Mexico City. N1scorcelos
who was Minister of Public Instruction
in his Cabinet, reached here to-day
and went directly to the State Depart
ment to lay the object Of the Gutierrez
campaign before Leon Canoya, CHIEF
If the Mexican Division of the Latin
American Bureau. This was, he said
the reassembling of the legally chosen
delegates Of the Aguascalientes con-
vention for the selection of Provi'
sional President.
Vasconcelos reached the town of Rio
! Grande, on the Mexican border, near
Natamoras, three days ago, after q
l.2OO-mile ride on horseback with de-
tachment Of troops. Four Of his men
were shot down by CarranZa soldiers
he said, a. ne crossed TO the American
side. Stopping only TO get some cloth
ing, he took train for Washington.