The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-02-23
BELIEF EXPRESSED
Continued from First Page1

tSthLtHuFt II OLi iASi FdbSst
ship merely because there is no other
leader in sight who is In any better
financial shape.
Desertions Are Numerous.
Desertions from Carranza's army
are becoming more and more frequent,
however. according to these reports
the deserters in most cases Joining the
small attachments which were placed
over American mining properties to
protect them in the days when Villa
was threatening all northern Mexico.
These detachments. supported and
paid by the mining companies they
pretend TO guard are about the only
Mexicans who have any money, II is
said: and the steadily increasing num-
bers of new recruits are rapidly as
Stunning unbearabIe proportions
Corroborating these reports comes
word of the existence of new revo-
lutionary plot now being fomented by
Felix Diaz. and a group OF sympthizers
with the Diaz and Huerta regimes.
The headquarters Of the revolutionists
Is said TO be a city near New York.
where dozen Of -the-pletteFs meet
daily.
Storing Ammunition.
On an island in the Gulf of Mex
leo these revolutionists are said to
have stored away a vast quantity Of
arms and ammunition. including ma
chine guns and other equipment of
modern makes. According to Circum-
stantial reports they have an ahund
ance of money and are spending 1t
freely. The plan is said to be to trans
port these war munitions TO a chosen
spot on the east coast of Mexico at
a propitious moment when no United
States warships are about and there.
under cover of darkness. land them.
This part of the program would have
been put into effect long ago. II Is
said, had it not been that the revolu-
tionists lack sufficiently strong connec
tions in Mexico itself to make the
landing of the arms Of any practical
use
Need Leader in Mexico.
What is most urgently needed, &C
cording to the information. is leader
in Mexico who can rally to him a
sufficiently large number of men to
make use of the munitions once they
are landed on the Mexican coast. The
difficulty that now confronts DiaZ and
his assistants Is to get word OF their
ambitious scheme to enough secondary
leaders In Mexico to make the result
ing forces strong enough to overcome
all foes This difficulty Is now being
remedied by agents of the revo-
lutionists who have gone into Mexi-
co from this side OF the border.
The view of the State Department
remains unchanged by these reports.
Oficials of the department admit that
the ability of Carranza to make his
de facto government outlive all revo-
lutionary plots has never been free
from doubt, and that In view of condi
tons that have existed since his reoog
milton by this government his ability
to retain his hold on the situation as
long as he has is considered surpris-
ing. In any event. the State Depart
ment will continue to discredit any
a ticipatory suggestions that the end
of the de facto government Is in sight
until Carranza's overthrow is an &C
complished fact. -.
It was pointed out by department
officials that the end of Carranza's
ascendancy would not necessarily en-
barrass the administration, inasmuch
as conditions then would be no worse
than they were during the latter part
OF President Taft's administration.