The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-05-20
vILLAREALS SAYS HE'S UNPOPULAR
 WITH vILLISTAS Mexican Statesman Ayers Both Carranza and Villa
 Shun Him Now.
ISSUES STATEMENT
 DENYING INTRIGUE
Declares Recent Villa Raids
 Outrages That Will Add to Mexican Burden

New York. May 2o.-Antonio I. Vi1- 1 1area1, the Mexican statesman, who has been accused by representatives of Carranza of inspiring the bandit raids in the Great Bend district of Texas, has issued a statement from his apartments in a hotel in which he denied any par ticipation in the recent uprising and border troubles. Senor, Villarea1 says he is persona non grata with both Villa and Carran- ga, because of his earnest efforts to maintain the national honor and dig nifty of Mexico. He gives this situa- ton as his reason for being refugee | in the United States
 The statement follows:
 f'I have read in the press of this city that MT. EliseO Arredondo, Ambassa- dor of Carranza's Government in Washington, asserts that am the prin- cipaI instigator of the recent disturb ances at Glenn Spring, Tex, and, be- sides, that there will very soon occur new raids on American territory under
 my instigation. \. | ''Since I have been away from Mex ico, I have refrained from making any 1 public declarations or giving inter views for newspapers, as thought this would be the best course from the
 patriotic point of view. If I speak | now, it, is because feel the need of denying the absurd accusations that are made against me by man who represents our country here but who, it seems, does not realize the perfect se- riousness and fairness that one would expect of him in his difficult position, especially at the present moment. Accuses Carranza's Spies. 'I have lived now for more than 8 year in the United States, always un- der the eyes of many spies of Carran- za's Government. A few weeks ago the agents of Carranza were able to
 deceive the Department of Commerce and Labor into giving an order of ar | rest against me, under pretext that I was an undesirable foreigner who had
 entered into this country violating the immigration laws. The immigration agents in San Antonio, Texas, made me answer a series of questions, all of them of a political character, and then I was allowed under bail, to come to Washington to defend myself.
 "'I spoke with the Secretary of Labor on the 26th of last month, and told him that Carranza's agents were asking the Government of the United States to make an improper application of the immigration laws, as they wanted it to act against Mexican political ex- t1es. Secretary Wilson promised that he himself would read the documents relating to me. A few hours after wards, having read them, he gave, or
 
 ing me from bail. This clearly shows the unfairness of Carranza's agents as we'll the fact that the Department of Labor will not be deceived into send ing back to Mexico a political refugee who would become the victim of po1it- ical fury.
 Presided at Agua Calientes.
 '"The new accusation now made against me, although it is more ab- SI9 act1y the same source. Carranza's s Government is anxious to suppress me at any cost, or if not, at least to have
 me away from this country. It is not difficult to discover the reason of this. In the convention held at Aguascalien- te,s, October, 1914, of which I was elected chairman, and where the de- position of MT. Carranza was voted the delegates who were against both Car ranza and Villa tried to have me elect ed Provisional PresidentA of Mexico. From that moment a bitter campaign of abuse has been waged against me by the Carranzistas, and now they have gone so far as to make Q slanderous de- nunciation against a Mexican citizen before a foreign Government.
 Anybody who knows my political career will understand that it is inn possible for me to be associated, di- rect1y or indirectly, in the preparation of the Glenn Spring raids. It is ab- surd even to think that could have any previous knowledge of the occur renee of these or any others of the same nature. [ have condemned and condemn now with all my energy the acts of the raiders of Columbus and Glenn Spring.
 "As Mexican, especially. condemn them. Since the welfare of our coun- try should be our principal concern, and such outrages will do nothing but add to our national mfsfortunes, I de- sire to have my country's sovereignty respected by all nations, and therefore I protest against any unjustified act that will tend to involve Mexico in in- ternationa1 conflicts
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