The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-12-28
CAPITAL LOSING FAITH IN RULE @ |
 OF CARRANzA


 seeing Mexico pacified under First Chief Carranza has virtually been abandoned by the United States. The refusal of Carranza to sign the tproto- col drawn up by the joint commission 1>in Philadelphia has faded into com parative insignificance in view offre- ports of a disturbing nature which have reached the State Department from northern Mexico. Carranza' s < control there has practically collapsed, Villa and his Supporters are undeE- stood to have 5000 men under. arms. with the de facto government unable to put an effective cohesive force in the field against them. ft-@
 Secretary Lane was notified late yesterday that, a messenger had start ed from New York with a communi- cation from the Mexican members of the Mexican American commission. MT. Lane assumed that the Mexicans were sending fsarranzass reply to the American demand that he either rati- fy or repudiateathesp spretoool signed by the joint commission.
 Admits Conditions, Are Bad.
 The announcement. that conditions in northern Mexico were bad was made voluntarily by the State De partment this morning. It at once focused attention on the =aceun1ula- tive reports of Villas growing ac- tivity and translated into official language the views entertained in administration circles that the Mexi- can First Chiefss power was seriously threatened, if not actually gone.
 1-S npuncement by the State Department Secretary Lane.i chairman of the American section Of the joint com mission. announced that he had isr sued g. call for a conference of the American members lat an early date,'' probably this week. Up to a late hour no word had come from Carranza concerning. the protocol. In < the light of reports from the northern provinces, it is believed here that Carranza's. refusal to sign. is now of little consequence. With Villa in controlkin northern Mexico, an agree ment with Carranza to protect the border would not be worth having, it is, said.
 The State Department described the, activities in northern Mexico as so serious 'as to give the department fresh concern" Large groups of bandits are on the rampage. They are marauding unchecked and ap- parently, control the country.
 Cazranzistas Deserting.
 It was stated officially that this government, suspects Villa of getting all the arms lie needs across the hor- der, though by what means the State Department is at a loss to ascertain. The most plausible theory is that villistas get much of their war ma terfal from the seditious Carranzistas who forsake the banner of the de facto government whenever Villa gets near. The fact that Carranza's army is honeycombed : with men ready to desert to villa at the first opportunity has long been knowns The Mexican explanation has been that if. the united States would ex- tend financial support to Carranza he could pay his men more liberally and thereby be more certain of their support. Inquiry in circles in touch with the Mexican Embassy here brought even more alarming news than that which was volunteered by the State. Depart ment. The news. from Administra- ton sources is sometimes colored to meet diplomatic exigencies, and it was felt that this Government might now desire to paint the picture in blacker colors than usual in order to frighten Carranza into an eleventh hour sigma ture of the protocol But in well in- formed Mexican circles the situation was described as follows: sl
 ssrhe game is up in northern Mex icol There ar4 5000 in arms against us and we have not the cohesive force to cope with then."
 What action the United States Gov ernment will take in dealing with the new situation has. not yet been / ydivulged. The Presidents confer ences- with Secretary Lansing yester- day is understood to have brought up the Mexican problem. The so- o-called ultimatum to Carrarza demanding that he sign or reject the protocol by December c6 has failed to move the Mexican First Chief This Govern 1nent might again be disposed to call off the ultimatum, but conditions in northern Mexico are now reported so bad that othere means may have to be speedily devised to meet the situation.
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