The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1917-01-15
Expected to Announce Free
Shipments of Munitions
to Gen. CarranZa
GEN. PERSHING
WILL RETURN SOON
Commission Meeting Likely to Cause
Storm in Congress-Belief Ammuri-
ton Has Been Turned Against Our
Soldiers

WASHINGTON, Jan. 10. - The re-
posted plan Of President Wilson to
lift the embargo against arms and am
munition destined for Mexico is brew
ing storm in congress which will
break with bitter attack upon the adj
mlmStratlOn S entire Mexican policy as
soon as announced officially.
The expectation is that the an
norncement will be made possibly at
today's meeting in New York of the
Mexican commission, also Of a plan
for the withdrawal of the Pershing ex
petition force from Mexico is also ex-
pectcd
Ii President Wilson lifts the -embar-
90 on arms into Mexico he Will be act
ing in the face of the advice Of two
American members of the commission
Secretary Of the Interior Franklin
X. Lane and John K. Mott. OF these
Secretary Lane, at least, took up the
negotiations Of the joint commission
fayoring the lifting Of the embargo
and emerged from the meetings even
move strongly opposed TO such action.
Information brought to American
mcllberS of the commission impressed
them with the belief not only that am
muaition shipped to Carranza has been
turned against American soldiers and
PROBABLY viii be IN the future but that
il finds its way surely and in large
quantities to the various bandits, Vii
+ listaS, Iapatistas and followers Of Sa-
laz1r, and by them is employed not
only in border fOrays and attacks on
Am rican troops III Mexico but in the
/ tcrrorlzing of foreign interests and the
I out aging OF American citizens in Mex
/ leo.
At first disinclincd to believe this,
the American commissioners finally
were forced to accept the charge as
proved and turned a deaf ear to the
plccdings Of the Carranza commissions
crs. The latter urged that Carranza
forces Couldn t reasonably be expected
20 get Villa without ammunition
or, though this was not put into words
with only such ammunition as it was
pos Idle to smuggic over the border.
! The American commissioners took
the position that Carranza hadn t been
able to ''get Villa when the embar
90 was off and millions of rounds OF
Nauser ammunition was being shipped
into Mexico monthly and that Nillf
was no better Oft since he was obliged
to depend on CalTanZa soldiers for hi.
ammunition.
ii was pointed out to the commits
sioners by men who returned from time
TO time from observing conditions il
g MeEieo that regular traffic b. whicl
T the "soldaderas or women camp fol
J lowers of the Carranza forces trade,
ammunition for food with the ''solda
! deras of the Villa and Zapata force
thrives in proportion to the amount O
: ammunition possessed by the Carranz;
4 forces.
1t was also said that trainloads o
ammunition shipped to the northern
6 part Of Mexico from the south con
: stantiv are attacked and captured b,
0 Villa or other rebel leaders; that tn
northern forces Of Carranza no soone
: collected a good supply of munition
Z in Chihuahua or Torreon than Villa at
i tacks the city, takes the ammunition
sacks the place and withdraws to tn
mountains, and that further south Gar
! rama officers have been known t
trade frequently large supplies of mu
nitions for foodstutfs from the fertil
Lauata territory
The American bullet in Mexico i
: the greatest problem with which Amer
lean citizens and troops have TO cor
tend. This has been repeatedly demon
strated not only through the aetivit
of the bandits but through attacks ur
on Americans BY Carranzistas. Ever
time President Wilson has lifted tn
embargo outrages against foreign il
> terests have increased.