Evening star., 1916-03-23
Sinister Situation in Juarez.

was desirable.
Sinister Situation in JuareZ.
The situation in Juarez remains sub
ject Of conjecture, with such Information
as is obtainable bearing decidedly sinis-
Ter aspect 1t is known that bitter feud
exists between the mayor. Manuel Prieto,
and the military commander. Gen. Gabriel
Gavira- Prieto Is n stanch Carranza sup
porter. while Gavira is devoted to the IN
terpsts of Gen. Obregon, Carranzas s min
lister of war. but who at the same time
is known TO he bitterly hostile to the first
chiefs program, especially as II relates
to cooperation with Americans Gavlra
troops are divided between obregonlstas
and former NlliStas.
Whatever may happen in JuareZ there is
no supposition here that any attack would
be made on FL Paso from the other side
of the river. but there is the greatest ap-
prehension that an outbreak one side
would be followed by an outbreak on the
other There are about 81. 900 Mexicans
I'm this city out of total population of
: 900. The military and civil authorities
have made vigorous efforts to forestall
trouble by arresting every Mexican who
was suspected OF melting their fellow
tountrymeu against Americans. That
such system. apparently organized, has
been carried on for some time has been
well known. Numerous arrests have been
made. especially among the Villista col
ony which is quite large.
Herrera's Brother Arrested.
The police last night renewed their
efforts and detectives were sent into
every section of the city, who arrested
between fifteen and twenty Mexicans.
suspected of being engaged in anti
American plotting. The most impor-
tant arrest was that of Melchor Herrera.
brother of Gen. Luis Herrera. Herrera
was arrested as he crossed the interna-
tional bridge after conference with
Gen. Gavira at Juarez- According to
the police. they have proof that plot
had actually been perfected by Herrera
and his associates to start rioting on a
large scale in Ell Paso. Two hundred
men We're said to have been enlisted as
nucleus, having been won over by
promises of the booty they would gain.
According to the police. plans of Her
rera anticipated that soon the
rioting started large numbers of Mexi-
cans would join them.
The precautions adopted by the mill
tary and civil authorities were not re-
Taxed to-day. They were in part the
result of Gen. Funston's orders that
special steps should be taken at all
points along the border to safeguard
American lives and property, in view
of the diSaffection of Gen Luis Her
rera and other Carranza chieftains in
d.
Expect Trouble in Sonora.
The belief of Americans who are
familiar with Mexican affairs was that
If the reported revolts in Chihuahua
seriously shook the power of the first
chief, it would not be long before
there was trouble in Sonora. This
state is the headquarters OF the Obre-
gon adherents, and has never accord
Ing TO information here, been more
than lukewarm to the CarranZa au-
thority. II is the native state of Gen
Obregon and its people are said to be
devoted TO his interests
Gen. Gales, the military governor of
Sonora IS known to be an out and out
Obregon supporter and his recent attacks
upon the cientificos and clericaIs, com
bined with his proposal to conhscate all
concessions granted by Huerta and Villa
rumor that he is not only anti-Amertcan.
but sympathizes at heart with Villa II
rs certain that number of his most
trusted officers were implicated with the
bandit chief in some of his notorious ex-
PLOTS Whatever be the outcome the
nervous tension along the border has in
creased to such extent that many
Americans frankly admit that they would
prefer a definite sundering Of relations
between Washington and the de facto
government to a continuance of the exi,t-
ing situation