The Washington times., 1917-03-08
VILLA BEING PAID
BY GERMAN AGENTS
Bandit Chief Played Against
Carranza in Effort to En-
barraSs America.

! LAREDO. Tex. March s.-Germany
is playing Villa against Carranza.
Great sums of German money are
pouring into the bandit leaders
hands. melting him to activity against
the United States and against Car
rama, while at the same time Ger
man agents work through officials OF
the Carranza government, seeking to
align that side against the United
States.
Agents of the German government
were with Francisco Villa at his head
quarters at BustiIlos ranch, about Feb
ruary II, with a proposition torenew
his raids on the border in case of a
declaration of war between the
United States and Germany. Two Ger
man agents reached the bandit lead
er. The conference extended over
two days.
At first Villa demurred against any.
attack on the border in force under
any circumstances.
1t length an agreement was reached
that, in case OF war, Villa would send
small bands as unattached bandits. to
operate at widely separated points
along the international line and to
make sporadic forays to harass Amer
ican troops.
Oner of S25o,OO0.
Under the terms of the agreement
the German agents promised to pay
Villa S25O.OOO gold at once to seal the
compact. He refused to enter into
the plot until the first payment was
handed over. They agreed to pay a
large amount each month thereafter
in case Of war to enable Villa to pay
his men, get ammunition. and build
up his shattered forces foe a cam
paign.
After orders from Foreign Secre-
tary Zimmerman looking to an at
tempt to effect an alliance with Mex
leo and Japan reached America, the
Villa scheme-was one of the very first
moves.
One secret agent was sent North from
the Capital to San Luis PotOsi, where
he met another. From Parral both
Travelled by Horseback to Bustilo's ranch
about forty miles north of chihuahua
City. At this point Villa was making
his headquarters at that time.
The Villa plan was to be used chiefly
in the event of failure to induce Car
rama TO enter an intrigue against the
United States and as a possible means
of bringing pressure to bear on Ca-ran-
"a. II was hoped to involve the de facto
government and the United States in
new. serious complications. making nee |
essary the retention of a large part
OF the army along the border.
To Weaken Carranza.
That friction between Carranza and
the United States would tend to weaken |
the de facto power was pointed out to
Villa by the German agents.
Already the German cabal in the Mex |
lean capital had set active under
ground efforts to work upon the first
chief and his advisers TO induce them
to consent to an alliance.
The note sent by CarranZa to the neu- |
trail powers, asking them to unite in |
refusing to furnish supplies to belliger- |
ent countries. was engineered by the |
German propagandists.
II WIS the original intention to |
lead the first chief to order the |
oil fields of Tampico to be closed |
to export. This was later modified |
to the form I'm which it was sent, be-
cause most Of the fields are owned |
by English companies and a large |
amount of the oil is used by the Eng |
lish fleets, and such action, therefore, |
would have brought complications be
tween England and Mexico.
Among officials in Mexico City |
stories are afioat that two govern ]
nent officials in the first chiefs i'm
mediate circle of influential men were |
cooperating directly with German
agents. One Of the newspapers in the |
capital is said to be under subsidy to
the Germans to print news with a
German angle. In other ways German
money an0 influence are at work to
sway the actions OF the de facto gov
eminent. Such actions are rendered
easy by the cross-cur
rents of jealousy and ambition Of
the different military and political
leaders
Stringent military censorship at all
the cable and telegraph offices in
Mexico prevents the sending OF any
not approved by the govern
ment.
~ mr. IN kAHANrrn HHIAnD