Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-09-05
ADMIT WAR STATE
Y|RTUAL[YEX|STS
0NMEX|CAN LINE
Officials Here Seriously Anx-
jous Over Fighting News
From Rio Grande.
RUMORS OF CARRANZA
INVASION CAUSE WORRY
First Chiefs Generals in the North
Are Rabidly Anti-American
in Sentiment.
MAY HAVE 70 CROSS RIVER
Gen. Funston Has $4,000 Men
to Defend Texas and Punish
-"Worked-Up" Sen
timent Scented.


Washington officials admitted
last night that practically a state
of war exists along the interna-
tional border between the United
States and Mexico now, as the re-
suit of the border raids in Texas,
and last nights reports Of firing
across the frontier and encoun-
ters between Mexicans and
United States troopers and Texas
rangers led to discussion among
administration officials as to
whether esome more positive
measure should not be taken than
those so far in force.
While there we're said to be no
official advices to support news
dispatches published in the
United States yesterday that
Mexican troops are massing
along the northeast border of
Texas, the question of protecting
the border was regarded with
growing apprehension, and army
officers even went So far as to re-
call that Gen. Taylor in 1916, un-
der similar conditions, carried
the war into Mexico" pursuing
raiders, out of which grew the
battles of Palo Alto and Resaca
de la Palma.
Serious Anxiety Here.
There was serious anxiety in Wash
ington in consequence Of the reports
that some Of the slain Mexicans wore
the uniform of Carranza soldiers and
that some Of the raiders had as many
as 800 rounds of ammunition. This
served to recall the fact that month
or more ago washingtonians familiar
with Mexican affairs declared that the
game of those who surround Carranza
would be to decline the mediation and
peace proposals Of the pan-American
countries. and to create a diversion by
provoking trouble with the United
States. in that way to arouse the so
called national sentiment" of all
Mexicans against the mediation which
the Carranza group of Mexican fac
tionalists calls interference.
Unless there Is something of this sort
afoot. students of the Mexican situa-
i tion said last night they cannot under
stand why the Carranza commanders
| in the zones Of trouble have such large
| forces as they have. Gen. Nafarrate,
commanding for CarranZa in Tamauli-
pas, occupies all the border towns for
| 200 miles between New Laredo and
Matamoros with 10000 men. He has
| fifteen machine guns and eight pieces
of seventy-fve millimeter artillery.
"a in Neuva Leon. has 5000 men. Both
| Of these generals are known as in
tensely anti-American. and when they
| were assigned to command in the two
towns where border raids have occur
red. trouble was predicted.
| 1t is well known that Villa has no
troops in or near these states, and the
$4,000 Mexicans wearing the Carranza
uniform who are in garrison in these
two states could have no opposition
| from Villa troops. The statement was
| made in Washington last night that
| such large forces Of Carranza troops:
under anti-American leaders, could
only have been placed where they are
| to repel an invasion from the United
States or to begin one.
Nearly All q. s. Forces on Border.
Mai. Gen. Funston, in charge Of
| troops on the border. has practically
! all the mobile forces Of the United
States under his command. These num-
Der %, 900 men, from Brownsville to the
Gulf of California. a distance OF 5000
miles. which is seven United States SOL
diers to every mile.
| While the border raids. now approx
imateIy guerrilla warfare between the
United States troops and Mexicans, have
| overshadowed the internal political sit
| uation of Mexico and have become more
| than a menace to the already strained
relations between the Two countries II
| is not believed that If there Is any or
| ganized scheme on foot to arouse the
| so-called national sentiment of all
Mexicans 1t will succeed with the aid of
| Cen Villa and other leaders who have
given their adherence to the proposed
| pan-American peace conference. 1t was
said in Washington last night that Gen.
| Villa has been in close touch. through
exceptionally accurate sources of infor-
| nation. with what has>oeen going on in
| the states of Tamaulipas and Neuvo
Leon. and would never take part in any
"worked-up" sentiment against the
United States.
"Worked Up" Border Trouble.
There is a strong suspicion that
something has been worked up" along
the border, and although the War De-
nartment has placed the soft pedal'
on such reports those who are sophis-
ticated in Mexican affairs last night
scoffed at the statements of Mexican
military commanders in the troubled sec
tions which denied that men of their
Cartridges are precious along the bor-
der, and 1t is stated that nine times
out Of ten captured or slain Mexicans
who are in possession of 800 rounds OF
ammunition must be soldiers. and not
(Contipuod on 9ocon0 Pa1al