The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1919-08-01
Rebels Now Rule
Half of Mexico

"uas at Its maximum stra,.,. :,
81 army poorly organized ga
nas,i ppeu. of this army large ny
,a is held in or near sreyian c pO
.. me remainder. numhar,na ~ ~
,.ah . full division, accordine = =.
efican organization. In g,ars nv
Nan' supremacy in the states :,
Nuevo Leon. eastern Coahuils $50 ~
h durango, Hildago. San I.nIs po,na,
nuahaJuato. Queretaro. Mlcho.oan
.a,isco' Topic. Zacatecas C,ar-s.a
.rah ,,aa' chiapas, Campeachy. Yucs,au
iaoasco' Qnintana Roo, and tho eos,
rih or Atlantic edge of tho STAT =,
cru cruz. which territory on PAPER 70.
ruins under federal coptro,
The big ranscontInen,aI s,r.,a.
reoe'-controlled territory. which aver
hses more than 100 miles In width ana
"iich Iorms an unbroken barrier from
v.eah 10 ocean, completely separates
the Iederal-controlled s,atas !, -
$ seath-chlapas. Campeachy. Yuca,an
iaoasco. part Of Vera Cruz and ovin'
una Hoo--from the states or parts !,
s'ates over which Carranza SIN, ho,ds
sway In the north.
Villa Forces Strongest.
VI the organized opposition propns
which are seeking to overthrow Cav.
rama, the most powerful is tina, which
- operating in Chihuahua and neigh.
Lorihg states under Angeles and villa
Inc Nllllstas, as this force is popp.
larry known. is not the unorpanized
poorly equipped, and undisclplined
force That great many people in This
country think it is. 1t is, on tho otber
hahd, probably the best organized and
equipped military organization in Mey.
leo: 1t numbers 10000 men command
ed by Angeles. the French trained
rebel leader, with Villa second in com.
mand. 1t is well equipped with rifles
end is said to have a fairly well organ.
ized artillery arm, and the yillIstas
nre the best ammunition, which, as n
rule. Is American made and is SNUG
gled across the Rio Grande by gun
runners"
The Angeles-villa forces are today
practically in control of the entire
state OF Chihuahua, large part of Du.
range. the eastern part of Sonora. and
the western part of Carranza's own
state of Coahuila.
The one part of chihuahua that An.
seles and Villa do not control is the
border city of Juarez, opposite Ell Paso.
and they would today be in possession
Of that much-needed border port but
for the fact that they brought about
American intervention in their plans
by firing over the border into the Texas
city. The Americans did not go to
Juarez to help Carranza, as some peo-
pie think, but solely for the purpose OF
safeguarding the lives of Americans on
the Texas side Of the Rio Grande.
The next more important rebel
force in Mexico is that under com.
mand Of Manuel Pelaez, who dominates
the oil-producing regions OF the Tam
pico country. Pelaez has under his
command 5000 well organized and fair
~ well equipped men. The value Of
the foreign oil interests In the ter
ritory in which Pelaez is operating Is
estimated at more than 100000, 900.
Pelaez is said to be pro-ally In senti-
ment, and to this Is due In large part
the failure Of the Germans and their
Carranzista sympathizers to gain con-
troll of the oil fields while the Euro
pean war was actively under way.
Allies Like Meixuerio.
Under Guillermo Meixuerio. in the
state of Oaxaca, is another rebel force
of several thousand well organized
men. Carranza has made desperate
but Intellectual efforts to dislodge Meix-
uerio, who Is easily one Of his most
feared opponents, and whose record is
such as to win the sympathetic APPROX
al of the allies. Meixuerlo is full
blooded Zapotec, a lawyer, and a man
of fine education.
Next In importance among the rebel
groups is that commanded by Felix
Diaz. Under Diaz. according TO Off
cial information, there are approx
mately 5000 men. The Diaz forces,
however. unlike those under Pelaez,
Angeles and Meixuerio, are loosely or
ganized and are said TO be In great