The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-12-31
With Power Waning, Car ranza Still Pleads for
 Troop Withdrawal
VILLAS STRENGTH
 ON THE UP-BUILD
It Is Indicated That Bandit Leader Is Campaigning Along We'll Laid Methods of Recruit
 ing Larger Army

Washington, December 30.--Incrcas- government Is being menaced by bands
 of insurgents, coupled with the pros pect that the first chief will not ac- cept the Atlantic City protocol unless ! the conditions 1t attaches to with
 drawal of the Americans troops are ! eliminated, has brought the Mexican | situation to a stage of uncertainty , that Is causing growing concern here. While officials admit that the conditions 1 they confront are embarrassing and some high army officers are urging that Per shing's men be withdrawn as a military step and regardless of conditions it is insisted that so far there has been no change in the administration policy. The
 American members of the Joint commits sion which drew the Atlantic City proto- col will meet here Tuesday to go over General Carranza's request for modfica- ton and to consider whether any basis 1 is offered for further conferences with the Mexican commanders
 ANOldER FLEA MADE Charles A. Douglas. an attorney for the | Carranza government, saw Counsellor Polk of the state department today and IS understood to have made further plea for withdrawal of the troops
 Several army officers of high rank are
 no longer attempting to conceal their impatience over the joint commissions s
 failure to secure ratification of an agree
 ment, and openly are urging that the al-
 tered conditions in Mexico make it im-
 perative to bring the 12,0OO men now in | Mexico to positions on the border where l they could be handled to better advan-
 tage if 1t becomes necessary.
 VILLA IS GAINING Reports to the state and war depart ments today supported unofficial advices | indicating that Villa is rapidly gaining | strength in northern Mexico that makes i his suppression by the Carranza army | appear doubtful. At the same time fol- ] lowers of Felix Diaz are said to be mak- | ing trouble in the south, while Manuel Palaez and other rebel leaders are gain 1 ing ground in the central portions of the republic.
 1 The official advices indicated that che l Carranza forces in Saltillo two days ago 1 were anticipating an attack by Villa ! forces. The governor of the state had | directed that the government archives be ] prepared for removal and many promi- nent civilians and officials had sent their families to the border. Successes of the | Villa fnrCaQ l firmed by the advices
 PLAN OF CAMPAIGN | Villas operations in the past week have | convinced army men here that he and | other leaders of the reactonary move 1 ment are following a plan of campaign
 having for it's immediate object the re-
 cruiting of an army and the collection Of | equipments rather than the occupation of
 territory. It is pointed out that Villa
 has entered towns of importance in l northern Mexico eight times since he ! resumed operations on a larger scale. only
 to surrender them again without A strug-
 gle The net result has been to add 1 to his fighting strength materially through the conversion of Carranza SOL diers, captured and deserting, into rebel 1 troops, and through captures of arms and ammunition, including about 90 pieces Of artillery.
 1 Unofficial reports today that the ban ] dit leader was on his way to Chihuahua again caused no surprise here since if is
 known that the Carranza force there is
 not well supplied with ammunition and
 many stories of disaffection have reached | government agents on the border. This
 situation, coupled with the continued op-
 erations of smaller bands and a more
 important movement along the central
 east coast that has caused observers here
 to regard with greater seriousness the
 predicament Of the Carranza govern
 ment.