The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1919-07-31
Official Information Shows Car
rama Barely CIings to Con-
troll Over Rest.
HAS ONLY $4,000 TROOPS
President Is Too Weak to Keep Order
as Bandits Harass Whole Country
Industry Snuffed Out and
Morale at Low Ebb.

New York.-The Mexican problem
was never more troublesome. Condi-
tons in that revolution-racked land
were never more chaotic than they are
today. Carranza now controls little
more than one-half of Mexican terri
tory and his hold on that is not at all
secure. Opposed to him are six organ
lied rebel organizations, not including
the Sonora Yaquis, while everywhere
his authority is hampered and his
troops harassed by organized ban
ditry.
Bearing upon actual conditions In
Mexico, the New York Times has come
into possession of certain information,
now in the official possession Of the
United States government. Vertical
ton of these statements which follow
is to be found in the archives of the
government in Washington.
Carranza has officially claimed that
ne is supported by a regular army of
10000 well disciplined and well
equipped troops. This statement is
not borne out by the facts in the case,
and the truth Of the matter is that his
armed forces number not more than
$4,000 officers and enlisted men, who
are poorly equipped, whose morale is
at low ebb. yet upon whose loyalty de-
ponds Carranza's sway over a people
who number more than 115.000,000.
Today the Coahuila "chieftain" is ex-
ercising authority in those parts of
Mexico not under rebel or bandit
domination as dictator and through
the PRONUNCIATION of executive DEGREES.
OF the great American border-line Car
rama is in control of not much more
than one-third, while the whole Of
southern Mexico is severed from "fed-
eral control by stretch of rebel-con-
trolled territory that ON the Atlantic
extends from the rich oil lands of Tam
pico almost to the City of Vera Cruz,
and on the Pacific by the entire coast
line of the great state of Oaxaca.
Lower California has become to all in
tents and purposes independent of the
government that sits in Mexico City.
Three General Divisions.
The contending forces in Mexico
may be referred to under three gen.
eral heads. They are:
First-The federal or Carranzista
forces.
Second-The rebel forces led by
Felipe Angeles, Francisco Villa, GULL
ermo Meixuerio, full-blooded Zapotec
indian, and by many well-informed OBJ
servers considered the ablest and most
trustworthy leader in Mexico; Felix
Diaz, Manuel Pelaez, who dominates
the Tampico and adjacent oil fields;
the Zapatistas, still, despite Carranza
affirmation, power in that part of
Mexico of which, the state of Morelos
Is the center; General Cantu, governor
of the state of Lower California, and
the organized Yaqui Indian forces of
the western part Of the border state of
Sonora.
Third-The bandits who, in small
groups, are operating everywhere in
Mexico.
AS to the first or federal forces sup
porting Carranza, it is, as already
pointed out, the official claim of the
present Mexican, or Carranza, govern
ment, that this force numbers 10000
men. 1t is a conscript army to
great extent and it is small and ineffi-
cient for two reasons, the first being
Carranza's inability to enforce con-
scription, and the second the fact that
he is unable properly to equip, train,
or maintain necessary discipline.
Owing to these two conditions, over
which Carranza appears to have no
control, the federal army of Mexico is