Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-04-20
OPPOSITION LIKELY
T0FURTHER MOVE
SOUTH IN MEXICO
Maneuver of Carranza Troops
Intended as Hint to Amer !,
ican Expedition.
CONSENT OF FIRST CHIEF
PROBABLY NEVER ASKED
Official Advices. Which Cause Con-
Germ, Also State War Minister
Obregon Was Not Consulted.

| was NCl OOASuAeOu.
| Official advices to the State
| Department today noting recent
movements OF Carranza troops
from Chihuahua to the Parral
region caused some concern
among administration officials,
The dispatches expressed the
! opinion that the movement was
inteuded as hint to the Amer'-
can forces that they might eN-
pect at least show OF oppositlei1
ii they sought to penetrate farther
into Mexico than their present
position. 1t was added. however.
that there was every indication
that the movement was made
without the knowledge or consent
OF Gen. Carranza or his war min
lister, Gen. Obregon.
| No estimates as to the number or
men involved was communicated. Or
| ficials here. however, basing their
strength of various Carranza garri-
sons in the vicinity. believe it could
cd
! ing to the dispatches it was the purpose
| of the commander who ordered the
move to establish the force south of
the most advanced position of Gen.
Pershing's troops near ParraI.
, War Department Without News.
The War Department has been with
out direct advices from the American
/ troops in the Parral region for several
days. Messages to the State Depart
| ment. however, have indicated that
there has been no additional cause for
| alarm as to the situation.
| 1t was learned authoritatively today
| that the United States has already
| acknowledged through Special Agent
Rodgers at Mexico City the receipt of
| Gen. Carranzas note suggesting the
! withdra wal of the American troops.
/ Another message today told of audi
: tional brigandage in the Mazatlan re-
! gion. which Americans are leaving.
f; The disorder was described due to
i bands of thieves taking advantage of
disturbed conditions.
An aspect of the Mexican problem
| which officials are watching closely is
| the so-called Felix Diaz revolutionary
movement, supposed to be favored by
l of he
| now taking refuge in this country.
The wherea bouts of Diaz himself is
not definitely known. The State De-
! partment has received information.
! however, tending to show that the
| movement is growing in Importance.
| IL is not known what steps are con-
| templated by administration officials
| in regard to this movement.
Less skeptical of Villas Death.
] Administration officials were much
interested today in press and other re-
ports from Mexico City indicating that
the de facto government was inclined.
in view of it's most recent advices, to
look with less skepticism on reports
| that Francisco Villas body had been
found There were no dispatches to the
| State or War Department, however.
! bearing on the subject.
| A message from the CarranZa capital
| given out by the Mexican embassy last
night and later press reports said Gen.
Il Obregon, the war minister, was in
| clned to place confidence in reports
that d search party composed of two
Mexican officials and an American
officer had examined the grave where
th.. bandit was supposed to have been
buried by the old Indian couple who
nursed him in his last illness. So far
as is known here no American army
officer has taken part in such an eX-
Dedi.iOn nor is there anything to d.
dicate that consul had joined III the
! search. No instructions to take such
steps have been sent to either the clvl!
or military officials of the United States
in Mexico.
There have been no official advices
Whatever lending color to the reports
of the finding of the body. Army and
State Department officials have regard
the speculation over the report as end
ed, since confirmation came from no
official source in weeks time.
Renewed Interest in Capital.
. The Mexico City advices served, how
ever, to reawaken interest to some ex-
trent 1t was pointed out that the chief
reason for that was because hereto
fore il has been understood that the
de facto government officials were as
iskeptical as officials here as to the
truth of the runors as American au-
thorities have been.
| Gen. Obregon was described as being
particularly dubious about them II
he mas now changed that view officials
there feel he must have some informa-
ftion on which to base his feeling They
will wait with keen interest pubIica
ton Of the official report from the
Esearchers for which Gen. Obregon is
said to have asked.
| There were adVices from Gen
Funston today even of routine char
acter Gen. Pershing has not been
heard from directly for some days, SC
far as known here. The War Depart
ment is still unadvised to what has
been happening in the vicinity of Par
raj since the attack upon the troopers
there except for State Department
dispatch reporting that the Carranza
military commander had made no OBJ.
lection to q change in the location ol
the advance post nearer to Parral.
| A message received some days ago may
| exnlain the silence as to troop movements
| in that region. Secretary Baker thought
| II said the expedition was showing thu
| effect OF the hard chase; that men and
horses were jaded and their shoes worn
out Gen. Pershing may be resting ant
e-equipping hts force and at the sam,
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