The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-03-06
MEXICAN SITUATION
 AGAIN ASSUMES 4
 PERPLEX|NG STATUS
The Capital Faces Starya- tiOn-Obregon Declines
 Assistance
POPULATION IS
 LIVING IN TERROR
Three Hundred, Merchants Have Been Imprisoned and 0bregon Refuses to Prevent Looting and
 Pillaging

htoh SITS
 Washington March 5.--Presidcnt Wilson tonight faced ono of Inc most serious and perplc xiug developments that has arisen In the Mexican situ- ption. Mexico City ia on the verge of starvation. General Obregou, the Car ranzn commander. refuses to permit an posed of wealthy members of the for ctgn colony. to succor inc needy.
 "Mcxico needs uo foreign aid, the general k reported to have snid.
 All merchants who closed their stores have been ordered to reopen under threat of punishment Three hundred of them, Mexicans, have been imprisoned. The population is living in terror of another evacuation, since Obregon has announced he will not prevent footing or pillaging for food or money.
 The Brazilian. British Spanish and 1tal- ian amba ssadors today gave the state de- partment pessimstic reports of the sitn- ation, which corresponded to reports all ready received The foreign diplomats suggested no solution.
 Secretary Bryan announced that he had telegraphed American Consul Silliman to lay the situation earnestly before General Carranza, SO that Gerenarl obregon might be directed to accept aid proffered by for eign residents. Freight service Is sus- pended between Mexico City and Vera Cruz and transportation facilities for re- lief purposes are beifig withheld by Gen. eral Obregon on the ground of military necessity.
 Wilson Advised
 President wilson was advised Of all the facts late today Tonight he was report ed studying the various phases of the question closely. Should General obre- gon continue Co refuse outside aid, dras- tic measures may be necessary in the view of foreign diplomats who describe the sit uation as more intolerable than 1t has been since the revolutionary troubles be- gan.
 Talk of an allied expedition similar to the one that went to the relief of for eign legations at Picking during the Boxer uprising was heard again in official quar- ters. For the present the outcome of the telegraphic correspondence with General Carranza will be awaited.
 All sorts of wild rumors are afloat in Mexico City due to Obregon's incendiary utterRnces in newspaper interviews, vir- tually sanctioning pIhnder for food Gen n haa oplro b.- t, American government to instruct General Obregon to take some measures to pro- tect lives and property of foreigners in the event of evacuation. The people fear the water supply may be shut off and the electric light cables cut.
 Appeal for Relief
 The 300 merchants imprisoned were re- ported to have appealed to Obregon for relief from a heavy tax he had imposed. Secretary Bryan said that SO far as the state department had been advised, all the Mexican priests arrested for failure to contribute funds demanded by Obregon still were in prison.
 The international relief committed which raised about 25O000 pesos was not per mitted to aid the poor, according to of- ficial dispatches because General Obregon declined to accept funds restricted to any definite use.
 Obregons latest decree provides that all merchants not only must open their places of business under threat of punishment, but that any person refusing to accept Carranza fiat money will be imprisoned
 Difficulties of the situation from the viewpoint of administration officials are The Villa n p6 Zan fo seem to be gaining ground in the military campaign, but their plans have for their object at present the domination of other parts of Mexico, particularly Tampico and the northern part of the country The presence at Vera Cruz of Charles A. Douglas. an intimate friend of Secretary Bryan. and legal adviser in Washing ton of General Carranza it is believed in some quarters. may assist negotiations. but officials are not optimistic because of CarraEza's S refusal heretofore to heed Washingtons representations
 Enrique C. Llorente, Villas Washing ton representative, gave out the follow ing summary tonight of messages on the military situation:
 Summary of Situation
 General Angeles telegraphed from Mon terey that the campaign was progressing rapidly. Coal fields ours Maclovio Her. rera defeated there by our generals, Her nandez and Pereya. Within a few days we will have all the fuel we need for purposes. In Monterey all is tranquil and enemy evidently has not resolved to attack.
 "Salvatierra and Alcanbaro. two impor- tant places in the state of Guanajuato. have been captured by the convention gen. eral, Arroyo. The enemy fled. abandon ing their military stores, leaving the en- tire northern part of the state free from 
 Apparently there is no prospect of tho embargo on the port of Progreso. Yuca- tan. being raised. report to the state department today said it was Carranza's to keep the port closed and that the two gunboats would be sent there to take the place of the Progresso, which was blown up q few days ago. The gun boat Bravo has gone to Tampico from Vera Cruz and not to Progreso, as pre- viu,rslv reporfed if was anpo,rprod