The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-03-09
GERMAN GOLD
| OFFERED VILLA
German Agents Urged Prop
osition That He Raid
the United States
PLAYING VILLA
AGAINST CARRANZA
In Effort to Get Them to At
tack This Coun-
try

Laredo, Tex, March 9--Germany is
playing Villa against Carranza. Great
sums of German money are pouring into
the bandits hands, melting him to ac-
tivty against the United States and
against Carranza, while at the same time
German agents work through officials of
the Carranza government seeking to
align that side against the United States.
just back from a trip into the inte-
rior of Mexico, Webb Miller, cores
pondent, state these facts on the highest
authority;
| Agents of the German government in
Mexico approached Francisco Villa in his
headquarters at Bustillo's ranch about
Feb. IL with proposition to renew his
raids ON the border in case of declara-
ton of war between the United States
and Germany. Two German agents
reached the bandit leader. The confer
ence extended over two days.
At first Villa demurred against any
attack on the border in force under any
circumstances. At 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
lean troops.
Under the terms Of agreement the Ger
man agents promised TO pay Villa $780,
900 pesos $4,000 in 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
large amount each month thereafter in
case of war to enable Villa to pay his
men, obtain ammunition and build up
his shattered forces for a campaign.
After orders from Foreign Secretary
Zimmerman reached Mexico City for
an attempt TO arrange an alliance with
Mexico and Japan the Villa scheme was
one of the first moves. One secret agent
was sent north from the capital to San
Luis Potosin, where he met another
From Parral they travelled by horseback
to Bustillo's ranch about forty miles
west 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 Carran. !
"a. 1t was hoped to involve the de facto |
government and the United States in
new, serious complications, making the |
retention of a large part of the army |
along the border necessary.
Friction between Carranza and the |
United States would tend to weaken the
de facto power, ii was pointed out to |
Villa by the German agents.
Already the German cabal in the Mex
lean apital had set active underground |
influences to work upon the first chief
and his advisers to induce them to con-
sent in an alliance. The famous note
sent by Carranza to the neutral powers,
asking them to unite in refusing to fur
nish supplies to belligerent countries,
was engineered by the German propa
yandists 1t was the original intention
to lead the first chief to order the oil
fields of Tampico to be closed TO ex-
port This was later modified to the
form in which it was sent because most
Of the fields are owned by English COM
Danies and large amount of the oil is
ised by the English fleets, and such ac-
ion therefore, would have brought COM
,lications between England and Mexico
Among officials in Mexico City stories
ire ahoat that two government officials
n the first chiefs immediate circle of in
luential men were cooperating directly
With German agents. One of the news
,apers in the capital is said to be under
ubsidy to the Germans to print news
rom the German ange- In other ways
ierman money and influence are at work
o sway the actions of the de facto gov
rnment. Such efforts are rendered COM
,aratively easy by the cross currents OF
ealousy and ambition of the different
and political leaders.
Stringent military censorship at all
he cable and telegraph offices in Mexico
revents the sending of any dispatch not
pproved by the government