El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-10-14

h1EkESElLAIlVE OF krancseo Villa arrives IN
Washington and announces that next month his chief
IS 70 launch major offensive with nearly 10000 men
with Mexico City the objective IS explained By this
unofficial ambassador that villas forces have been aug
mened BY dsssrters from the caranza army and that
VIA VII start the big drive next month with larger
forces sn be been able to command for the past four
years" He might have eliminated the four year limit
for Yla never has commanded that many men nor half
taat many.
For moment let Us swallow whole everything this
unnamed repEsssnative has announcsd-everythng but
the par about the 100000 men, which the easily
persuaded scarcely could credit During the days when
revolutions in Mexico real revolutions and
operations In bsadizV there used be good old rule
VIXEN a Mexican chief announced the strength Of his
forces, viz to cut off the last cipher he claimed 5000
men he might actually have as many as 500.
ms time the ruis won't apply. # it is desired to ap
proz11ate zAs number Of that could Be raised BY
villa and Angeles combined the removal Of two epheTs
from 10000 probably would Be somewhere correct
Il would probably be too large then But If ref
erencs made to all the forces revolt against the
caTanza government and # i were taken for granted
thst al these forces considered villa their nominal
p1sme chief, TO cut off cipher would be 700 much
There nay Be $1,000 10000 in against the
established government in .Mexicocertaiuly number
large enough that The Canza troops have not made the
expected hsadwsy suppressing them but the rebels
widely scattered and the Of communication so
extremely difficult that villa could scarcely be their
uldnder NORMALLY What cohesion could there be
between rebels in the rural districts Of Pusbla OF Vera
M0reossnd villa in The mountains Of Dufango7
Announcement that the alleged campaign is to be d.
Eect61 MeMcdu capital directly plainly
meant TO curry favor with the United States by the int
nation that the American border VIII be left unmoested
n fact this essary Of villa states plainly that there IS
to Be border fighting The asco Juares must have
decided wis upon the impraccabty Of border attacks
valuable as they have been considered hitherto.
all previous revolutions since 1910 Mexican rebels
struck first the border gaining more from the
prestige received through volumIn0us publicity Aner
newspapers than from the military advantage Of seiz
ing border port though that advantage has been
all inoonsiderabls.
Sc revolutions have begun at the border ana pro
crossed toward the capital Only The coup detat Of Husr
confined TO the capital itself radiated outward
Il has been maxim in Mexican politics that whoever
controlled the border ports found the way open Cha
pultePsc via, informed proposes to introduce
rev strategy that Of closing the capital from the
interior leaving exposed the Csrranzz troops
the border and inland while attacking the Carranza
troops between his forces and The capital
Only the assumption that the CarranEs troops would
fight could such fantastic military plan be justified.
Il the plan angng but Pigment Of Villas representa-
ti7es Imagination It must have eanatsd from villa and
Angeles who IS generally believed to
sense than the plan indicates
The whole thing has the look Of propaganda-Ia Grass
propaganda designed for the consumption Of the power
ful but stupid and gulibe Amencanos. If villa to
vouch for the authenticity Of bis =ouhpecss statement
could only reply: "An right Don Quixote you have
uttered y0ur boast now make good Il VIII take coz
sde-aby more than words 10 convince the American peo
pie tkat villa hes punch left.
TIE fact that c0urieTs from such bandit as via,
representatives, Of villa friends villa Of any degree
Of description have the eutree az Washington needs some
explaining The United States out 70 kin or capture
Vis tine It IS recalled, and no pescs agreement
rstos Is Of record The presumption Is that
the United States government Ike the American people
would s give something to villa captured BY Amsr
1an troops by AeEcans and executed promptly Gen
rns troops 1sde an effort to tap his command last
June and would not have stopped short al taking villa
prisoner # the effort had been quite successful Then
shy are villa propaeandists allowed TO come from the
-ap o. their bandit chief and aEitats his in AMER
cities Tie capital Of tie United statss7 IF