Evening star., 1915-04-07
100000 MEXICANS
IN PIVOTAL BATTLE
Villa and obregon Forces
Either Fighting or About
to Clash.
CAROTHERS SENDS WORD
OF IMPENDING FIGHT
Dispatch, Dated 5th, Delayed in De-
livery-State Department
Advices.

"A Ddttle Win 4V,UUU tToopS cHSdSoo
and which may be a deciding action
in the war between the Carranza ana
Villa factions in Mexico Is In progress
or impending near Irapuato, in the
state of Guanajuato.
State Department dispatches today
dated April 5, but delayed in transmits
sion, sent by Special Agent Carothers.
with Gen. Villa, said the fight would
take place soon. That was construed to
mean that Villa had assembled q force
strong enough to meet Gen. Obregon's
army and was moving south from Tor
reon along the National railway.
Obregon was last reported at Quere-
taro. and was said to have sent q column
against San Luis Potosi while he protect
ed its march with a second column and a
third division Of his army under Gen. Hill
moved toward Morelia, capital Of Michoa-
can.
Obregon is understood by officials here
to have 10000 men and it is said Villa
has gathered an equal number.
Irapuato is the junction Of the Mexican
Central and National railway toward
which Obregon's forces are advancing.
State Department Advices.
The State Department issued this sum-
mary Of the situation:
'The department is informed that Gen.
Villa has announced that IL he is success
full in defeating the forces Of Gen. Obre-
gon south of Irapuato he will Immediately
open the lines Of communication to Mexico
City. The departments advices indicate
that should the forces OF Cen Carranza
be defeated in this expected engagement
his important strongholds will be Vera
Cruz. Tampico and Matamoros"
Advices to the Carranza agency said
the gunboat Guerrero reached Guaymas
Monday night and her commander noti-
fed foreigners to leave the port. as he
intended to open bombardment. Mobs
in Guaymas and Hermosillo. the agency
statement added, were looting business
houses.
The statement adds that Gen. Mayto-
rena failed to check Carranza troops
marching from both north and south
and was defeated yesterday at Nava-
joa.
Gen. Gales was reported marching on
Cananea and Nogales.
State Department advices said sharp
fighting continued at Ebano. near Tam
pico. '.'a 90
Carranza Refuses Naturalization.
Intimations have come to the Amerl-
can government that Gen. Carranza
will not consent to the naturalization
VI 0A0AASO lily dS pEopO0Cu 4Au dSI ecu
to by the villa-Zapata forces.
No definite answer has as yet been
received to the American note on the
subject sent to the two factions, but
preliminary reports to the State De-
partment indicate that Gen. Carranza
It is believed, however. that arrange
ments may be made for uninterrupted
passage of trains to and from Mexico
City and Vera Cruz. though decision
reached by Carranza.
Assistant Secretary Peters of the
Treasury Department has notified
Frank Rahb. collector Of customs at
Brownsville, Tex. not to stop ex
portations of provisions across the
Matamoros.
Protests were received at the depart
ment from several citizens of Browns
Vile announcing that the collector had
1t was pointed out that the depart
ment's action was not taken in the in
terest of any faction. but because there
is no legal ground for prohibiting such
trade.
In a telegram yesterday Rabb asked
that two men be sent to Brownsville
to help him. Officials here presumed
he required help to examine exports
and in view of the departments in
structions no help will be sent.
To Suppress Counterfeiting.
Gen. Villas intention to adopt drastic
measures to suppress counterfeiting
was reiterated in a statement issued
last night by the Villa agency here.
The injury to commercial activity
through the undermining Of the public
confidence in business transactions on
account of the wide prevalence of coun-
terfeit money" said the statement.
has reached such an inestimable ex-
tent that drastic action by the govern
ment has become necessary. Natives
and foreigners, without regard to rank
or reputation. must be dealt with alike
in this situation.
wv. B. Cox. an American, formerly
OF Williamson. w. Va, is now being
held under counterfeiting charges at
Chihuahua. The confidential agency is
advised that Cox entered Mexico
| through Tampico. carrying with him
81, 100000 pesos counterfeit, and that
| the day he was arrested he had with
him only 109,560 counterfeit pesos, in
dicating that he had put into circula-
| tion about 100000 pesos of his worth
less money
Cox is being held for trial and he
will be afforded every possible means
Of defending himself"